Survivors have long described how they were dismissed, threatened, or retraumatized by systems supposedly designed to protect them. In this sense, Epstein is not an anomaly; he is a symbol of a broader culture that minimizes children's suffering while shielding perpetrators who hold influence.

It's important to understand that Stockholm Syndrome is not a weakness or a choice. It's a human response to prolonged trauma and captivity. What Cassie endured was a nightmare, and it should be perceived as such. However, misogyny has men and, unfortunately, women downplaying the horrors she experienced as if wealth changes the idea of abuse and who's considered a victim.

"Make the wrong face and the next thing I knew I would get hit in the face," Cassie Ventura testifies. "He would say, 'Watch your mouth.'" The constant tension left her anxious, never knowing whether he would arrive in a good mood or in a rage, leaving her with what she called persistent "stomach-in-knots" anxiety.