Nearly 10 new suspected victims have emerged since France launched an investigation into late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his network, Paris’s top government prosecutor said Sunday.
France set up a special task force of magistrates in February to investigate French citizens who may have committed crimes in the country or were involved in Epstein’s crimes.
The move was triggered by the US Justice Department’s release of the latest batch of documents – known as the “Epstein Files” – related to its investigation into the disgraced financier.
Epstein was found hanged in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for trafficking underage girls for sex.
What did the prosecutor say about the new victims?
In comments to RTL radio, Laur Becu said that about 20 people have come forward since he urged potential suspected victims to contact authorities in February.
Some of the alleged victims were already known to investigators, Becuau said, “but we also had new victims come forward that we didn’t know at all. There are about 10 of them.”
“A certain number of them are abroad, so investigators are trying to organize suitable meetings for them to come to Paris,” he told RTL.
Other victims known to investigators included those attacked by Jean-Luc Brunel, a modeling agent convicted of raping minors, who committed suicide while in custody in 2022. Brunel was also suspected of transporting and hosting young women for Epstein.
Gerald Marie, a former executive at the prestigious elite modeling agency, is also facing similar allegations, which he denies.
What do we know about the Epstein investigation in France?
Daniel Siad, a possible recruiter for Epstein, is under investigation in Paris following complaints from potential victims, according to French broadcaster BFM.
Becu also said the investigative task force was combing through the Epstein files for the names of alleged perpetrators mentioned by suspected victims.
The names of several high-profile figures, including celebrities, senior politicians and industry leaders, have been mentioned in the documents released by the US. Being mentioned in the Epstein files does not mean a crime has been committed.
“We have also seized Mr. Epstein’s computer, his telephone records, his address books,” the prosecutor said. Investigators “will also request international assistance,” he said.
But Bekuu said that “none of those who could potentially be implicated have yet been interrogated”.
“We will only hear from the defendants once we fully understand (Epstein’s) connections to other key figures in his network in France,” he said.
French ex-culture minister Jacques Lang is the most high-profile French citizen implicated in the Epstein files.
The 86-year-old resigned in February as head of the Arab World Institute (IMA), a prestigious cultural center in Paris, after his name appeared more than 670 times in the Epstein files.
Lange denies any wrongdoing.
global scam
The Epstein case has had ramifications in several other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway.
While US President Donald Trump had campaigned for the release of the files, he had resisted intense pressure for months to publish the documents. The US Justice Department eventually released millions of files, although they were heavily redacted.
Trump and Epstein were friends for years, but the US president insisted their relationship was over long before the allegations against Epstein came to light. No evidence implicating Trump in any crimes involving Epstein has been made public.
The files also name former US President Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary and several other high profile personalities.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also come under criticism for appointing Epstein associate Peter Mandelson as British Ambassador to the US.
The Epstein scandal has already forced King Charles’ brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, to give up his royal titles and residence, while demands for him to testify in the United States are also increasing. Mountbatten-Windsor was released from police custody in February but is still “under investigation.”
In Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit apologized in February for her relationship with Epstein.
The scandal has also exposed other high-profile Norwegians, including former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland and former Foreign Minister Borge Brende, the current CEO of the World Economic Forum. Both Brende and Jagland have said they are cooperating with investigators.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic