Epstein files fiasco creates 'trust gap' that makes prosecuting crimes even harder

Retired Lt. Diane Goldstein spent 21 years with the Redondo Beach, California Police Department, which she joined in 1983. But these days, Goldstein is executive director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) — a nonprofit that focuses on criminal justice policies and includes police, judges and prosecutors in its membership.

In an op-ed published by MS NOW on March 2, Goldstein examines the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files — which, she argues, could damage DOJ's credibility for some time to come.

"Cynicism about the Justice System's treatment of sex crimes is not new," laments Goldstein, who is originally from Mexico City. "But the government's handling of the Epstein case — including the way it has exposed the identities of some victims and redacted the names of some of Epstein's alleged co-conspirators — threatens to push this critique into something far more corrosive and to reinforce the already prevalent belief that the system is fundamentally aligned to shield the powerful while further harming victims."

The retired police lieutenant adds, "This conspicuous inversion of the justice system's stated mission helps explain why many victims of sex crimes hesitate to come forward at all…. The mishandling of the files and the survivors creates a trust gap that makes the task of investigating other sex crimes more difficult."

Sex crimes, Goldstein emphasizes, are "difficult to prosecute" — and she warns that DOJ's handling of the Epstein files won't help.

"In my experience," the LEAP executive director explains, "confidence in the justice system depends as much on process as it does on outcome. If we want people to have faith in our work, then at a minimum they must trust that we will examine evidence vigorously and pursue leads wherever they go. That is especially true in a case of this magnitude, involving allegations of profound harm and potential perpetrators at the highest levels of power."

Goldstein continues, "The public outrage and apprehensiveness about this release should not surprise anyone in law enforcement…. It's not difficult to see why some might conclude that the system is unwilling or unable to confront wrongdoing when powerful interests are involved…. For those working in the justice system, and especially on sex crimes, the Epstein files are a stark reminder that the institutional legitimacy we rely on to do our jobs is fragile and easily eroded."