The Epstein files did not advance justice. They exposed survivors and insulated everyone else.

Privacy protections failed where they mattered most, while powerful names and broader networks remained untouched. The release checked a transparency box, absorbed public outrage, and allowed institutions to declare the matter exhausted without pursuing additional prosecutions.

This was not a technical mistake or an unavoidable outcome. It was a strategic release that shifted risk downward and accountability nowhere. When survivors bear the consequences and no one else is charged, the system is telling the truth about its priorities.