How American society shields perpetrators of child sexual abuse

By: Sarah Lischer

Outlets: Kansas Reflector

Published: August 15, 2026

Words: 1,187

Last Updated: 3 days, 1 hour ago

Widespread denial accompanied the public exposure of Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long sexual abuse and trafficking of girls and women.

After the U.S. Justice Department released millions of case documents on Epstein in January 2026, billionaires, politicians, heads of state and academics proclaimed their ignorance of Epstein’s global network of sexual exploitation.

Why would so many intelligent and powerful people repeatedly trumpet their lack of awareness, especially after Epstein’s 2008 …

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