Less than 50 miles from Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch, a Santa Fe nonprofit is serving as a haven for survivors of his alleged crimes — a middle ground between their pain and the public.
Solace Sexual Assault Services, nestled in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is no stranger to Epstein's crimes. The organization first started hearing from survivors in 2018, before Epstein's death.
"We know that some of the most horrendous victimization has happened in the ranch," Maria Jose Rodriguez Cadiz, executive director of Solace Sexual Assault Services, said.
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Back then, a couple dozen people impacted by Epstein reached out to the organization for services. Rodriguez Cadiz said her team presented Epstein survivors with options — therapy, a safe space, or contact with law enforcement.
"We also received a lot of phone calls and had in-person meetings with people that at the time had information that they thought could be crucial for the investigation," Rodriguez Cadiz said.
"It is the survivor's right to decide every step of the way what will be best for them," she added. "So there is no aiming to convince them to do anything. What we do is visualize with them how it will look and how life will be in the likelihood that they take one path or another."
The Department of Justice, during President Donald Trump's first term in office and before Epstein's death in 2019, asked New Mexico's DOJ to pause the state's investigation into Epstein. Rodriguez Cadiz said halting that investigation denied survivors the chance to testify.
"Taking that step is crucial for the survivor," she said. "And if, in addition, you hear that no matter what you do or what you just did, if indeed you took that step, the investigation is no longer going to be taking place, it is incredibly deleterious."
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Rodriguez Cadiz said the national focus on survivors following the recent release of the Epstein files has made more survivors come forward. Her team is now connecting with the New Mexico legislature's Truth Commission, which is investigating the alleged crimes at Zorro Ranch.
"We owe it to them," Rodriguez Cadiz said. "If only one thing, to do no more harm than the harm that is being caused already."
Solace Sexual Assault Services says some Epstein survivors are coming forward to share information not only about their own experiences, but also about other situations. New Mexico's Truth Commission is also referring those cases, when survivors are willing, to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution.
