A deadline missed, questions piling up

More than five years after Jeffrey Epstein’s death, the shadow of his crimes continues to hang over the United States justice system. This week, the US Department of Justice confirmed that millions of documents linked to Epstein are still not public, despite a legal deadline ordering their release having long passed.

In a letter sent to a federal judge on Monday, the department admitted it is still reviewing over two million documents that may relate to the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender. The update comes more than two weeks after the December 19 deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

For many Americans, patience is wearing thin.

Only a fraction released so far

According to the Justice Department, just 12,285 documents, around 125,000 pages have been released so far, representing less than one percent of the material currently under review.

Officials revealed that on December 24, they uncovered more than one million additional files that were not included in the original review process. While some appear to be duplicates, they still require sorting, processing and verification.

“Substantial work remains to be done,” the department said bluntly.

Why it’s taking so long

Attorney General Pam Bondi and senior officials insist the delays are not about secrecy, but caution. Every document must be manually checked for information that could identify victims, many of whom were minors at the time of Epstein’s crimes.

To speed up the process, more than 400 Justice Department attorneys and at least 100 specially trained FBI staff have been assigned to review the files over the coming weeks.

The department argues that releasing documents too quickly could retraumatise victims a point that has found some support among advocacy groups.

Political pressure and public anger

Still, the political fallout is growing. Democrats have accused President Donald Trump’s administration of dragging its feet, accusing it of failing to honour transparency commitments tied to Epstein’s powerful connections.

On social media, the reaction has been fierce. Hashtags demanding the “full Epstein list” have resurfaced, with users questioning who might be protected by the delays and why justice continues to feel incomplete.

Why this story refuses to die

Epstein’s case is unlike most criminal investigations. His links to politicians, royalty and billionaires turned a criminal scandal into a symbol of elite impunity, one that still resonates globally, including in South Africa, where public distrust of powerful institutions runs deep.

Until the files are fully released, the suspicion will linger: not just about Epstein’s crimes, but about who else may have escaped accountability.

For now, the files remain locked and so does public trust.

{Source: IOL}

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