When survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein step forward, they do more than recount their past. They disrupt power.

Their testimonies threaten to unravel circles of influence that thrived on silence. Each time a survivor speaks publicly — and especially if she names the powerful men identified as an attacker — our culture is forced to reckon with how deeply trafficking and sexual violence penetrate society’s most privileged layers.

That reckoning could be seismic.

Accusations against politicians, financiers or celebrities would ignite a wave of public scrutiny. Reputations long thought untouchable could crumble. The parallel to Harvey Weinstein is clear: one man’s exposure not only toppled a Hollywood giant but also reshaped conversations about workplace harassment across industries.

The Epstein case, however, is broader in scale. It is not simply about one predator but about an alleged network that thrived because institutions looked the other way. Testimony that exposes the demand side of trafficking — the men who pay for access to abuse — could reframe how the public understands sex crimes. Instead of viewing trafficking as an issue confined to shadowy corners of society, survivors’ disclosures reveal its ties to boardrooms, campaign donors and........

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