Supporting Epstein Survivors
New Mexico Nonprofit Supports Epstein Survivors, Navigating DOJ Halts and State Truth Commission Inquiry
A Santa Fe nonprofit is stepping up to support survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes, offering therapy, a safe space, and connections to law enforcement. Solace Sexual Assault Services first began hearing from survivors in 2018 — while Epstein was still alive — and has continued that work ever since, according to WTVR.
The organization is now playing a key role in a formal state investigation. Solace is working with the New Mexico legislature's Truth Commission, which is looking into alleged crimes at Epstein's Zorro Ranch property, KTNV reported.
Survivors Found a Safe Space Before Epstein's Death
Solace Sexual Assault Services began receiving calls from Epstein survivors as early as 2018. That was a full year before Epstein's arrest in July 2019 and his death in August of that year. Executive director Maria Jose Rodriguez Cadiz said her team was ready to help from the start, according to WRTV.
Rodriguez Cadiz said staff gave survivors real choices. "We provided options such as therapy, a safe space, or contact with law enforcement," she said, as reported by KOAA. That kind of support is rare. Many survivors of high-profile cases struggle to find help that respects their privacy.
DOJ Order Blocked New Mexico's Own Investigation
The road to justice has not been simple. The U.S. Department of Justice previously asked New Mexico's Department of Enforcement to stop its own investigation into Epstein. Rodriguez Cadiz said that decision had a real cost, according to ABC15.
She said halting the state investigation denied survivors the chance to testify. Giving testimony can be a key part of healing for survivors. It also means some evidence and accounts may never be formally heard in a legal setting, Fox13 reported.
Truth Commission Puts Zorro Ranch Under a Microscope
The New Mexico legislature has created a Truth Commission to look into what happened at Epstein's Zorro Ranch. The ranch, located in the New Mexico desert, is believed to have been a site of alleged abuse. Solace is now working directly with that commission, Denver7 reported.
The Truth Commission gives survivors a formal path to be heard at the state level. Rodriguez Cadiz and her team are helping connect survivors to that process. It marks one of the most structured efforts yet to document what happened in New Mexico, according to WKBW.
Nonprofit Fills a Gap Left by Federal Inaction
Solace operates in Santa Fe and focuses on sexual assault support. Its work with Epstein survivors shows how local nonprofits often fill gaps that federal agencies leave behind. The organization has provided consistent support across multiple years and multiple legal shifts, 3NewsNow reported.
Rodriguez Cadiz has made clear that her team's door stays open. Survivors can come for emotional support alone, without any pressure to go to law enforcement. That low-barrier approach has made Solace a trusted resource in a case where trust has been hard to come by, according to WMAR2 News.
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