One of Jeffrey Epstein's accusers says his death makes her 'angry'
- A woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein of raping her when she was 15 said his death shouldn't hinder authorities from fully prosecuting his personal network that facilitated his alleged cycle of sexual abuse.
- Epstein died by an apparent suicide in a Manhattan jail on Saturday while he was awaiting trial on federal charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking.
- Araoz, who previously said Epstein had "forcefully raped" her after months of grooming, said she was "angry" Epstein won't have to face "survivors of his abuse in court."
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A woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein of raping her when she was 15 said his death shouldn't hinder authorities from fully prosecuting his personal network that facilitated his alleged cycle of sexual abuse.
Jennifer Araoz released a statement Saturday after Epstein died by apparent suicide in a Manhattan jail while he awaited trial on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking.
"I am angry Jeffrey Epstein won't have to face his survivors of his abuse in court," Araoz said. "Epstein is gone, but justice must still be served. I hope the authorities will pursue and prosecute his accomplices and enablers, and ensure redress for his victims."
The Bureau of Prisons said Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York around 6:30 a.m. and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Read more: Jeffrey Epstein has died in jail by apparent suicide, 2 weeks after he was placed on suicide watch
His death comes after investigations from the media and federal prosecutors revealed how the financier's network of employees facilitated his alleged sex trafficking and his close ties to high-profile figures in politics, business, and British royalty.
Araoz, who is now 32, previously told NBC's Savannah Guthrie in a July interview that she was persuaded to meet Epstein in his Manhattan mansion by a woman outside a nearby performing-arts high school.
She said it was at the townhouse that Epstein groomed her over the course of several visits and "forcefully raped" her just after she had turned 15.
"He knew exactly what he was doing," Araoz told NBC News. "I was terrified, and I was telling him to stop. 'Please stop.'"
Araoz is not part of the current federal sex-trafficking case that prosecutors brought against Epstein this year, in which he was pleading not guilty.
The financier previously fielded allegations of sexual assault for years while keeping a shroud of mystery over his business ventures and high-profile network of friends.
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