Body
Paris prosecutors opened two new investigations tied to Jeffrey Epstein, with prosecutor Laurence Beccuau urging possible victims to come forward as investigators draw on newly released U.S. material. Beccuau said the probes cover potential sex abuse crimes as well as financial wrongdoing, and that specialized magistrates will handle each track.
Beccuau told France Info that the investigations will rely on files released by the U.S. administration related to the late financier and convicted sex offender, along with media reports and new complaints that are being filed. She said the decision reflects the arrival of large volumes of Epstein-related documentation, including material that prosecutors have not previously had.
In her comments, Beccuau said the publications that accompany the newly released files “will inevitably reactivate the trauma of certain victims.” She said prosecutors are convinced that some victims “are not necessarily known to us,” and that the newly available information could prompt those people to report.
She called on victims who may have never spoken up before to file formal complaints or provide witness accounts so French and foreign investigations can incorporate them. Beccuau also said some material from old investigations would be revisited in light of new revelations tied to the Epstein files.
One French case referenced in connection with the Epstein file revelations involved Jean-Luc Brunel, a modeling agent accused of rape and the sex trafficking of minors. The probe into Brunel closed in 2022 after he was found dead in his jail cell in Paris. Brunel, described as a frequent companion of Epstein, was considered central to the French investigation into alleged sexual exploitation of women and girls involving Epstein and his circle.
The Epstein material has also touched prominent figures in France in connection with tax and administrative scrutiny. The AP report said former Culture Minister Jack Lang stepped down earlier in the month as head of the Arab World Institute in Paris over suspicions of tax fraud, and that French financial prosecutors opened an investigation into Lang and his daughter Caroline Lang’s alleged links to Epstein through an offshore company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In another development, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said last week that he informed prosecutors of allegations involving a senior French diplomat, Fabrice Aidan, in relation with the Epstein files. Barrot said he was also launching an administrative investigation and a disciplinary procedure, without providing details on the allegations.
Aidan’s name is mentioned more than 200 times in the Epstein files, according to the AP report, with exchanges dating back to 2010 when Aidan was working at the United Nations. The report also said emails show Aidan’s apparent close relationship with Terje Rød-Larsen, a Norwegian diplomat facing scrutiny over contacts with Epstein, along with Rød-Larsen’s wife.
Aidan’s lawyer, Jade Dousselin, said in a written statement her client denies any wrongdoing and called for respect for the presumption of innocence.