DOJ Removes Thousands of Sensitive Epstein Documents Following Victim Backlash

Wed Feb 04 2026 02:08:14 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The US Department of Justice has retracted thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein after survivors claimed their identities were compromised, sparking outrage and demands for accountability.

The US Department of Justice has removed numerous documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein after victims reported that the files exposed their identities. Legal representatives for survivors described the poorly redacted documents as a severe violation of privacy, impacting nearly 100 individuals. Despite the DOJ's assertion that the mishap stemmed from 'technical or human error,' the consequences have raised concerns for the safety and well-being of the victims. The department is continuing to assess further documents for additional redactions.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has removed thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein from its website after victims said their identities had been compromised.

Lawyers for Epstein's victims said flawed redactions in the files released on Friday had turned upside down the lives of nearly 100 survivors. Email addresses and nude photos in which the names and faces of potential victims could be identified were included in the release.

Survivors issued a statement calling the disclosure outrageous and said they should not be named, scrutinized and retraumatized.

The DOJ said it had taken down all the flagged files and that mistakes were due to technical or human error.

In a letter submitted to a federal judge, the DOJ stated: All documents requested by victims or counsel to be removed by yesterday evening have been removed for further redaction. The department emphasized its commitment to reviewing new requests and checking whether there are additional documents needing redaction.

On Friday, two lawyers representing victims called upon a federal judge to order the DOJ to take down the website hosting the files, deeming the release the single most egregious violation of victim privacy in one day in United States history due to the failure to adequately redact names and personally identifying information.

Victims have shared dire concerns, with one describing the release as life-threatening and another reporting receiving death threats after private information was disclosed. The DOJ spokesperson assured that it takes victim protection seriously and is working to rectify the situation, alleging that only 0.1% of released pages contained unredacted information.

Moving forward, the DOJ has committed to better monitoring and reducing the risk of exposing victim identities, as millions of files related to Epstein's case remain under scrutiny.