Dear friends & supporters,
During these very sad days for all people who love freedom, democracy and the protection of the rule of law, I am probably not the only one struggling to hold back in the wake of the Epstein revelations.
Day after day, I find myself asking what we are really doing with our human rights organisations when it appears that a massive group of powerful sexual predators was able, for years, to harm, abuse, injure, rape - and according to serious allegations, even murder - children through organised exploitation, without ever being meaningfully held accountable.
Even more disturbing is the fact that people in positions of high power appear to have known for decades what was happening and did nothing to stop it. Had they acted in accordance with the moral principles and ethical standards they so often invoke in political campaigns or executive boardrooms, countless children might have been spared unimaginable harm.
So, we need to ask ourselves:
What kind of people are we if we allow this to happen?
What kind of justice system tolerates such impunity?
What kind of law enforcement looks the other way?
And what do “the rule of law” or “the rights of the child” even mean if wealth and power place certain individuals permanently above them?
Now, If justice institutions wish to restore even a minimum of credibility, then words are no longer enough.
Therefore, at a minimum, five things must happen immediately:
First, full and unconditional transparency. All files related to organised sexual abuse and trafficking related to the Epstein case must be disclosed, with secrecy used only to protect victims—not perpetrators or institutions.
Second, independent investigations with real power. Cases involving the powerful cannot be investigated by the same systems that failed to act for decades. Independent and, where necessary, international prosecutors must be appointed.
Third, accountability for enablers and cover-ups. Justice must not stop at the direct perpetrators. Those who knew, enabled, obstructed, or remained silent must also be investigated and held responsible accordingly.
Fourth, justice centered on victims, not on reputations. Survivors must receive lifelong protection, care, and access to justice—without intimidation, delay, or procedural exhaustion.
Fifth, a clear declaration that no one is above the law. Wealth, political power, corporate status, or social standing must never again shield anyone from prosecution.
I am really struggling—not with despair, but with anger.
Anger that victims are ignored or sidelined by justice systems.
Anger that files are withheld instead of disclosed with full transparency.
Anger that perpetrators are not prosecuted, and that with time, accountability quietly evaporates.
Anger that responsibility seems optional when money, political influence, and reputations are at stake.
If human rights are only defended when it is convenient or safe, then they are not rights at all.
They become branding.
They become comfort.
They become an illusion.
I do not have easy answers today. But I refuse to accept that outrage is naïve, or that silence is prudence. If we cannot confront impunity at the highest levels of power, then we must ask ourselves - honestly - what we are all here for.
Thank you for standing with us, even when standing up for what is right can be very uncomfortable at times.
With resolve and hope,
C. Karlo