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Epstein scandal exposes a global reality: The sex tradeYasmin Vafa

31 0
01.03.2026

For those of us who've dedicated our lives to fighting pedophilia and the sexual exploitation of women and girls, we can tell you clearly: Jeffrey Epstein was not an anomaly. He is a case study.

Yet, years after his death, Epstein's story continues to shock the public. Each new document release, each resurfaced photo reignites disbelief: How could this happen? How could so many people have known?

Sex trafficking is a system

The answer is simple: there isn't a singular monster, but a system. A multi-billion-dollar global sex trade in which powerful, wealthy men feel entitled to use, abuse and discard vulnerable women and girls. The shock says less about the rarity of Epstein's crimes and more about how effectively society has insulated itself from confronting the scale of sexual exploitation hiding in plain sight.

The Epstein case may be extreme, filled with tech titans, politicians, billionaires and royalty. But the dynamics that enabled Epstein are replicated every day across the world. Wealth buys access. Power buys silence. Vulnerability is exploited, monetized and rationalized. And when accountability comes, if it comes at all, it is never distributed evenly.

Again and again, we see the same pattern.........

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