India, Dec. 21 -- More than a day after the US Department of Justice released a new batch of long-awaited files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, questions remain about why large portions of the material were blacked out or removed entirely.

The disclosure followed a congressional mandate requiring the government to make the files public by a set deadline. While the release was billed as comprehensive, only a limited portion of the overall archive has so far been made available. Much of what was released contains extensive redactions, according to the BBC.

The Justice Department has said the redactions were necessary to protect Epstein's victims and to avoid compromising ongoing or related investigations. Officials have...