BOSTON — Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley introduced the Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act, a first-of-its-kind legislation that would create a restitution fund for survivors of sexual violence whose rights were violated by the federal government, including all survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The act would create an investment to support survivors of sexual violence.
“The financial, physical, and emotional trauma that survivors of sexual violence carry is a lifetime sentence,” said Pressley. “By no choice of their own, survivors can incur debilitating costs due to medical needs, lost income, housing instability, and mental health support…”
Legislation would address the burden survivors carry, including lost income, medical costs, and housing instability.
The Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act would provide compensation to eligible victims for harm and losses and create an independent Office of Special Adjudicators for Survivors’ Restitution within the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to review petitions and determine awards.
A Survivors’ Rights Restitution Fund within the Department of the Treasury would also finance awards through federal forfeiture proceeds tied to trafficking and sexual exploitation offenses, voluntary contributions, and authorized appropriations.
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