Alex is Scripps News' senior national correspondent based in New York City. Over the course of her career, she has covered a wide range of events both nationally and internationally.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee will be in Florida Tuesday to hold a hearing with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. It's what's known as a shadow hearing, one organized by the minority party, and it's the first time we will hear from survivors testifying publicly under oath about what happened to them.
Scripps News spoke with survivor Marina Lacerda, who now lives in the area, about what it's like to bring this issue to her backyard.
'I feel that Congress wants to come in and definitely help us out,' she said. 'I think that while we have the Trump administration, I don't think we're going to go anywhere with this, to be honest with you. I think we're going to have to wait for this administration to leave in order for us to even start criminally charging or start to even take any type of action in this case.
''Sometimes when we do get together, the survivors, the Florida girls, we try not to bring this up, right? Because it's something in the past, right? And we talk about it all the time,' she said.
'I live far from West Palm, so I don't feel that heavy energy. I just feel like when I meet with my survivor sister here in Florida I can feel that sometimes it's hard for them to get through, but I feel like they're doing such a great job still living here.
'Her fellow survivors are 'both happy and a little bit upsetting to having to go back to a place where they were abused,' Lacerda said. 'But they are happy that this hearing is happening. I think it's most important for this generation to see how the grooming was happening and with the school and also for parents to realize and understand how predators can work.
'RELATED NEWS | Lutnick's testimony about Epstein draws praise from GOP chair and derision from Democrats'It's time to drop the rest of the files,' Lacerda said. 'It's time for us to really start not putting hearings together but to really, really start investigating these perpetrators. 'Lacerda told Scripps News she will be in attendance at Tuesday's hearing, where a handful of survivors are expected to speak. As of Monday afternoon, Democratic lawmakers have not released the full witness list.
EPSTEIN FILES | Judge releases note that cellmate says he found after Jeffrey Epstein's suspected suicide attempt
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