In a world where the lines between right and wrong seem increasingly blurred, Megyn Kelly’s recent comments about Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have left many questioning the integrity of public figures who feel the need to defend predators. This week, Kelly made headlines for arguing that Epstein’s crimes weren’t as severe as they seemed because he preyed on “barely legal” 15-year-old girls, not children under 10. Her comments ignited a firestorm of backlash, with many pointing out the disturbing implication that the abuse of a child could be mitigated by their age or appearance.

But it was a voice that no one expected to hear— a 14-year-old girl named Eloise—who tore through Kelly’s arguments with chilling clarity. Eloise’s direct response has rocked the internet, and in doing so, she became the voice of reason in a debate dominated by powerful adults who should have known better.

“I wasn’t even gonna say anything,” Eloise begins, explaining that, initially, her mother had hesitated to allow her to speak out on such an adult topic. But after hearing Kelly minimize Epstein’s crimes, Eloise knew she couldn’t stay silent. “But after hearing you go on camera and explain that Epstein wasn’t into eight-year-olds, just the barely legal type like 15, I realized you might need an actual reality check from a literal child.”

And reality check, she delivered. Eloise, speaking from the perspective of a young girl, dismantled Kelly’s argument with a simple yet profound truth: “Some of us still have baby faces. Some of us still have braces. Some of us still call our parents when we’re scared at night.” The point was clear: a 15-year-old girl, no matter how “mature” she may appear to an adult, is still a child. And to treat her as anything less is not only morally wrong but a direct attack on the idea of childhood innocence.

The implications of Kelly’s comments were hard to miss. By implying that Epstein’s preference for “barely legal” girls was somehow less damaging than abusing younger children, Kelly perpetuated a dangerous and perverse narrative that the abuse of older minors is somehow more acceptable. “Under federal law, anyone under 18 is a child,” Eloise points out, correcting Kelly’s blunder with the clarity only someone still in the throes of adolescence could bring. “No asterisk. No, but they hit puberty.”

The fact that a 14-year-old girl felt the need to publicly correct an adult media personality with a national platform speaks volumes about the state of our society. It’s not just Kelly’s misstep—it’s the fact that her views are shared by others who, instead of holding perpetrators accountable, try to deflect or excuse their actions based on the age of their victims. Eloise’s response highlights a fundamental moral truth that should be universally understood: abuse of any child, regardless of age, is horrific and unjustifiable.

“What you said wasn’t factual. It was minimizing. It was making abuse sound like a technicality,” Eloise writes, urging Kelly to see the real harm in her words. And that’s the crux of it: Kelly’s comments aren’t just factually wrong, they’re morally corrupt. They imply that the severity of abuse can be measured by how old the victim looks. They downplay the trauma inflicted on young victims, many of whom are still developing both physically and emotionally.

Eloise doesn’t just stop at the legalities; she calls out the moral failure of adults who defend predators. “If a 14-year-old has to get on the internet and explain to a grown adult with a national platform that children are children and there’s no age where abuse suddenly becomes less bad, then the problem isn’t confusion. It’s corruption.”

Her words cut deep because they reveal a painful truth: children should not have to take on the responsibility of educating adults about the basics of right and wrong. This is the job of those in power—journalists, policymakers, parents, and educators—to create a world where children’s voices are heard and their rights protected. But when adults like Kelly engage in the kind of dangerous rhetoric that minimizes the harm done to young girls, it’s clear that we’ve failed.

“It’s terrifying,” Eloise admits, pointing out that a grown woman needs a child to explain such fundamental truths. “Here’s the part you really need to hear. If a 14-year-old has to get on the internet and explain to a grown adult with a national platform that children are children and there’s no age where abuse suddenly becomes less bad, then the problem isn’t confusion. It’s corruption.”

This powerful message doesn’t just call out Megyn Kelly—it calls out all of us. We cannot afford to be passive in the face of injustice. We cannot afford to sit back as predators are protected by a system that continuously bends over backward to excuse them. When people on the right-wing try to whitewash, excuse, or minimize the crimes of figures like Epstein—and by extension, Donald Trump—they are making a dangerous and reckless choice. They are sending a message that predators are protected, that the abuse of young girls is somehow less important than their political agenda.

Eloise’s voice, a voice of a young girl who deserves nothing but safety and respect, is the wake-up call that we all needed. “If my voice makes you uncomfortable, good. It should,” she says. “Because the minute adults start defending predators by debating the age of a child, you’re not protecting the truth. You’re protecting the predator.”

These are the words we all need to hear. They are not just a criticism of Megyn Kelly’s statements—they are a call to action for all of us to stand up and demand better. For the sake of every child, we must reject any notion that abuse becomes less wrong simply because a child is closer to adulthood. Every time we allow this kind of rhetoric to go unchecked, we fail the next generation of children who will be forced to grow up in a world where their safety is negotiable.

It is time to stand with the survivors, to listen to the voices like Eloise’s, and to demand a future where children, no matter their age, are never seen as anything less than the precious, vulnerable human beings they are. We must protect the truth, and in doing so, we protect every child’s right to live free from harm.