Epstein survivor urges Virginia to ‘stand up for what’s right’ in tight congressional race

At a Trump-Epstein Bookmobile stop in Virginia, one survivor called on voters to elect lawmakers willing to overhaul institutions she said have failed abuse victims.HENRICO, Va. (CN) — A victim of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein slammed the government’s handling of files and called for Virginia voters to elect lawmakers who are going to make much more serious efforts to address abuse.“This is the next generation. This is about our children,” said Sharlene Rochard, an Epstein survivor. “We don’t want our children growing up in a world where somebody abuses them and nothing’s done — and nothing has been done in this case for 30 years.“We need so much more than one woman in minimum security with a puppy,” she added, referring to convicted sex trafficker and Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. “This is atrocious. We need an uplifting, literally, of the whole administration.”Rochard made the comments during the Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Bookmobile’s stop in Henrico County, Virginia. The truck’s latest stop was attended by Shannon Taylor, the Democratic candidate trying to unseat Republican incumbent U.S. Representative Robert Wittman in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. Polls and prediction markets show Taylor with a slight edge in one of the country’s most competitive U.S. House races.The Bookmobile tour started in early September and has since stopped in over a dozen cities. The truck’s exterior design includes numerous black redaction marks, a red-lettered message saying “Release All Of The Files” and timelines showing four decades of history on Epstein and Trump.The items inside the truck include over 400 red and white book volumes containing approximately 3.5 million micro-printed files covering details such as the trafficking of girls, organized meetups and talks of whistleblowers. Other items include an electric candle display representing the victims, a message board for survivors and Tarot card-themed artistic prints depicting some members of the Epstein clan.Rochard told reporters that only a few people have been brought in for questioning so far, despite the fact that the files list many names. She also responded to a question about the possibility of some voters not being concerned with the issue.“One in three women have been abused domestically, whether it’s your daughter, your sister or your neighbor," Rochard said. “Somebody knows somebody … and this type of abuse affects people their whole life. This isn’t just like you’re abused and you get over it.”Acknowledging the midterm election, Rochard pushed for voters to support candidates who are going to seriously look at the evidence and hold the institutions accountable.“This should not be a red or blue issue, at all,” she said. “This is about protecting children and how come this culture doesn’t believe that right now. People need to stand up for what’s right.”The Bookmobile’s few visitors Thursday included Christian Roeseler, a Henrico County resident and Army veteran. He said the stop drew his attention due to his own experience seeing abuses of power. He also said he and his wife, an art student at Virginia Commonwealth University, have an interest in projects like the Bookmobile.“This is right up our alley of what we like to go see and do and see what it’s actually talking about. And it’s powerful,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of abuse. I’ve seen a lot of people in power abuse, manipulate and hurt people who couldn’t speak up for themselves. Obviously, I’m going to get drawn to this because I’m passionate about fixing that.”A.J. Mata, the Bookmobile’s driver, said the reception to the tour has been mostly positive.“We mentally prepare for the worst, yet we haven’t seen [anything] close to it. You’ll get a little heckle here and there, but outside of that, it’s just overwhelming support,” he said. “Going down the road seeing thumbs up out of the window, it’s overwhelming at times how much support we’re getting.”Mata said the goal of the tour is to inform the public and help them make better decisions. In addition to the full release of the files, there are a great deal of people in power who need to be brought to justice, he said.Taylor spoke with Rochard and touted her track record of combating sex trafficking in the area.“I brought law enforcement, prosecutors and survivor advocates together to go after the traffickers, protect the survivors and change how we prosecuted those crimes,” said Taylor, who has served as the commonwealth’s attorney for Henrico County since 2012. “When the system fails to protect people, you don’t make excuses, you change it.”Taylor also took a few jabs at Wittman, criticizing the congressman’s track record of holding systems accountable.The Wittman campaign responded to some of Taylor’s comments, saying the congressman voted in favor of the legislation that required the release of federal records related to Epstein.“That is an indisputable fact documented in the official congressional record,” the Wittman campaign said in a statement Thursday. “Congressman Wittman believes Jeffrey Epstein’s victims deserve justice, the American people deserve transparency and anyone in these horrific crimes must be held accountable, regardless of their wealth, political connections or position of power.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads