Katie Phang

She is a survivor of the horrors of Jeffrey Epstein.

She has bravely spoken publicly about her experiences of being trafficked as a child, sustaining and suffering from the sexual abuse at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein, and the exploitation of her, and I want to underscore, as a child.

And yet the Republicans continue to want to hide from the American people and from the world the transparency that Charlene and the other Epstein survivors deserve.

Charlene, this is your time.

Thank you.

I am grateful to Congresswoman Randall for welcoming me as her guest for the State of the Union.

And I appreciate all of you for giving me the opportunity to share my voice tonight.

Thank you.

My name is Charlene Rochard.

And I stand before you not just as a survivor, but as a mother, a woman, and a citizen who believes deeply in protecting the next generation.

People often ask how I found the courage to speak publicly about something so painful.

The truth is, I didn't find that courage alone.

For years, I carried the weight of my experience in silence.

And then a longtime friend, someone who remembered the vivid details of my past interactions with Jeffrey Epstein encouraged me to reclaim my voice.

When I finally stepped forward to tell my truth, I found myself surrounded by a sisterhood of survivors who lifted me up and reminded me that none of us walked this path alone.

But I want to be honest about something that rarely gets said out loud.

What happened to us didn't end when the abuse ended.

Epstein's manipulation and coercive control changed the trajectory of many of our lives.

Some of us went from thriving, working hard, building careers, feeling hopeful to being

unable to work at all.