Epstein Survivor Marina Lacerda Breaks Silence on Abuse and Prince Andrew
Marina Lacerda was just 14 years old when she first encountered Jeffrey Epstein. Born in Brazil, she immigrated to the United States at age eight and was already juggling three jobs to support her family by high school. Her home life was tumultuous; her stepfather had been imprisoned for sexually abusing her from ages eight to twelve, and her relationship with her mother was strained.
When another young girl recruited her to work for the multimillionaire, promising $300 for a 30-minute massage, Lacerda saw it as an opportunity. She entered the orbit of a man who seemed connected to everyone in New York City, hoping he might help her achieve dreams of becoming a ballerina or performing on Broadway.
Four Years of Systematic Abuse
Thus began four years of abuse at the hands of the serial paedophile, who exploited her youth, economic insecurity, and aspirations with chilling precision. Referred to as 'Minor-Victim 1' in the 2019 indictment against Epstein, Lacerda, now 37, played a crucial role in securing charges against the sex offender months before he died by suicide in his Manhattan jail cell.
Now, she has publicly accused former Prince Andrew of 'completely ignoring' the demands of victims like herself, who urge him to travel to the US and testify about his knowledge of Epstein's activities. 'He does not want to come back to America to answer those questions. But before, when he was friends with Jeffrey Epstein, he was coming here all the time. He was begging Jeffrey Epstein to come here. It's crazy when you look at those emails,' she told the Daily Mail.
Evidence and Allegations Against Prince Andrew
Lacerda referenced email exchanges between Prince Andrew and Epstein from September 2010, discussing gatherings with models at Buckingham Palace. 'Then we have a picture of him laying down on the floor with what looks like a very young girl, [she] looks like a child when you see the picture,' she said. 'I don't think these people [just] knew—I think they were a part of it. That's what I'm understanding from the emails... these powerful men, they were very much involved as much as Jeffrey Epstein was.'
California congressman Ted Lieu confirmed last week that the woman in the photo with Prince Andrew at Epstein's New York mansion was a sex trafficking victim. 'These two photos staring you in the face are evidence of a crime, and more than enough evidence to predicate an investigation against former Prince Andrew,' he stated during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.
Going Public and Seeking Justice
Although Lacerda provided testimony to prosecutors seven years ago, September 2025 marked her first public disclosure as an underage victim of Epstein's abuse. She rejects the idea that speaking out is re-traumatizing. 'No, it's definitely not re-traumatising me. When I do talk about it, it's therapeutic for me,' she asserted confidently.
Her schedule is now filled with podcast and television interviews, as she amplifies the survivors' pursuit of justice. She had hoped the release of over three million Epstein files by the US Department of Justice would bring closure and investigations into complicit perpetrators. Instead, victims were frustrated that only about 50% of six million documents were released, with sensitive information poorly redacted.
'We all know they're protecting their own,' Lacerda remarked. 'It's very hard for us to understand that they took their time to redact and protect themselves, but not to protect us, which I thought was the main goal here.'
Grooming and Recruitment Tactics
Lacerda described how Epstein groomed her 'very slowly' after she was recruited as a masseuse. 'And then next thing you know, he's raping me. I would say sex, but I guess at 14, you're not having sex, you're getting raped.' She recounted being pressured during massages, with Epstein using manipulation rather than violence to control her and other girls.
Epstein eventually forced her to recruit other underage girls, instructing her to only present teenagers with student IDs to prove their age. As she grew older, he grew frustrated when she could no longer find young enough girls. 'Whenever I would bring him somebody, if they were either too dark-skinned, or they were too old, it was always a problem, basically,' she recalled.
Medical Exploitation and Bizarre Claims
The files reveal Epstein sent girls to New York gynecologists for checkups related to sexually transmitted infections and contraception, with emails showing he financed and advised on medical procedures. Lacerda also noted more outlandish allegations in the files, including claims of child cannibalism and human sacrifice, which she believes should be investigated with due diligence.
One email alleged Epstein ordered the burial of two 'foreign girls' near his New Mexico ranch after they were strangled during 'rough, fetish sex'. New Mexico lawmakers are now calling for a 'truth commission' to investigate potential abuses at the ranch.
Ghislaine Maxwell and Calls for Accountability
Last week, Epstein's co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions during a congressional hearing, pleading the Fifth Amendment. Lacerda cautioned against trusting Maxwell, 'Are we supposed to believe a woman that has lied under oath?' She was part of a group of survivors who wrote to the House Committee, warning against granting Maxwell leniency.
Lacerda's message to US officials is to view survivors as children, not adults. 'I'd like to say, look at your kids, look at your sister, look at your mother. What if it was them?' She criticized US President Donald Trump for calling the Epstein case 'pretty boring stuff', noting, 'Of course it's boring, because he's in the files, his friends are in the files. So it seems boring for him, but it's not boring when you're involving the whole world.'
