New york: A federal judge canceled a scheduled court hearing after the US Justice Department reached a last-minute agreement to protect the identities of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, following widespread redaction failures in a massive document release. US District Judge Richard M. Berman said Tuesday that lawyers for Epstein survivors and the Justice Department resolved privacy concerns after what victims' attorney Brittany Henderson described as 'extensive and constructive discussions.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Henderson stated, 'We trust that the deficiencies will be corrected expeditiously and in a manner that protects victims from further harm,' in a letter filed with the court. Berman expressed he was 'pleased but not surprised' that the parties were able to resolve the issues and subsequently canceled a public hearing that was scheduled for Wednesday in Manhattan federal court.

The agreement was reached following the release last week of more than 3 million Epstein-related files. Lawyers representing the victims highlighted that thousands of documents exposed sensitive information such as names, photographs, email addresses, and banking details.

In a filing on Monday, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton noted that the department removed 'several thousand documents and media' due to 'technical or human error' and has since revised its redaction protocols. Victims informed the court that the disclosures were devastating, with one victim describing the release as 'life-threatening' and another reporting death threats following the public exposure of her financial information.

The records in question are connected to federal sex trafficking investigations into Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial, and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence following her 2021 conviction in New York.