Senator Chuck Schumer appeared in Washington alongside survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce proposed legislation known as ‘Virginia’s Law’, aimed at eliminating the statute of limitations for sex traffickers and abusers.
The measure is intended to allow victims more time to pursue criminal or civil cases against perpetrators and institutions linked to trafficking crimes, addressing long-standing concerns that legal deadlines often prevent survivors from seeking justice years after abuse occurred.
Named after Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers and a leading advocate for survivors of sexual exploitation before her death in April last year, the proposal seeks to remove legal time limits that can prevent cases from being filed decades after alleged abuse. Supporters argue many victims require years to report crimes due to trauma, coercion or fear and that removing deadlines would allow courts to hear cases regardless of when survivors come forward.
The announcement comes amid continuing scrutiny of the wider Epstein case, which has prompted renewed debate over accountability for individuals and institutions linked to the trafficking network.
Jeffrey Epstein, a financier with ties to high-profile political and business figures, was accused of running a long-standing sex trafficking operation involving underage girls across several locations. He was arrested on federal charges in 2019 but died in jail while awaiting trial.
His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after being convicted of helping recruit and groom underage girls. Lawmakers recently sought to question her during a congressional deposition, where she declined to answer substantive questions by invoking constitutional protections, while her legal team indicated she could provide fuller testimony if granted clemency - a proposal that drew criticism from members of Congress.
Family members of Virginia Giuffre have continued to call for accountability, describing Maxwell as a central figure in the abuse network. Giuffre later became a leading public advocate for survivors after speaking openly about her experiences.
Several associates and institutions linked to Epstein have faced civil lawsuits, with survivors arguing systemic failures allowed the abuse to continue for years. The case has since fuelled broader debate in the United States over legal protections for victims and whether existing laws adequately address trafficking and exploitation.
Supporters of ‘Virginia’s Law’ say removing time limits for such offences would strengthen protections for survivors and ensure cases can proceed even decades after abuse occurred, as investigations and public scrutiny tied to the Epstein scandal continue.
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The U.S. military's Central Command said on Tuesday that Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in its retaliatory attacks throughout the Middle East so far.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full U.S. trade embargo on Spain on Tuesday after the European and NATO ally refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
An Israeli strike on a four-storey residential building has killed at least four people and wounded six others in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek with rescue teams working to pull families from beneath the rubble, state news agency NNA said on Wednesday.
Kazakhstan has vowed to speed up its investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash near Aktau, as mounting diplomatic pressure and geopolitical tensions push the disaster further into the international spotlight.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
China expressed serious concern over the escalating conflict in Iran, confirming that one Chinese national was killed in Tehran. Beijing called for an immediate halt to military operations and a return to diplomatic talks, while other Asian countries have also voiced their positions on the crisis.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
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