French prosecutors have opened a set of extensive inquiries into possible human trafficking and financial crimes connected to associates of the late convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following the publication of a large trove of his files. The Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, said that investigators will draw on material available in the public domain as well as complaints lodged by child protection organisations.
Two distinct strands of work have been announced. One investigation will concentrate on allegations of human trafficking. The other will examine a range of alleged offences including money laundering, corruption and tax fraud. Authorities said they hope the renewed attention may prompt victims who have not yet come forward to do so.
Beccuau's office said in an emailed statement that publicity surrounding the release of documents could encourage victims of trafficking to report abuses. Five prosecutors will now review the published material to identify any indications that French nationals were implicated in sexual or financial crimes connected to Epstein and his circle.
The probes build on long-running scrutiny of Epstein's network. Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019; he had previously been convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. His associate Ghislaine Maxwell has been convicted in the United States for trafficking underage girls for sexual abuse over many years in connection with Epstein.
French authorities have already taken several concrete steps in light of the documents made public by the U.S. Department of Justice. A preliminary investigation into suspected tax fraud has been opened involving former culture minister Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline. Separately, three other cases are under examination, including an allegation that French diplomat Fabrice Aidan passed United Nations documents to Epstein; Aidan has denied that allegation.
The material released by the U.S. Justice Department includes flight logs and emails that indicate Epstein frequently visited Paris. Those files also note that Epstein owned a luxury apartment near the Arc de Triomphe. Campaign group Innocence en danger, which advocates against sexual abuse of children, said France has a key role to play because it is the only country outside the United States where Epstein owned property. Homayra Sellier from the group has urged new investigations and called for scrutiny of Epstein's ties in France.
French prosecutors previously opened an inquiry into Epstein's connections in 2019, but that probe was closed in 2023 after the death of Jean-Luc Brunel, a longtime Epstein associate and a key suspect, who died in a French prison. Prosecutors acknowledged that the current work involves incomplete data and described the task as titanic, noting the uncertain outcome of the new inquiries.
The new French investigations come after a U.N. Human Rights Council panel of independent experts suggested the possible existence of a "global criminal enterprise" linked to Epstein's network, and alleged acts that could amount to crimes against humanity. The U.N. panel's suggestion is part of a broader set of international concerns that the French authorities are now treating alongside domestic complaints and the newly released documents.
Investigators said they will proceed by reviewing the published files and complaints to establish whether there is sufficient evidence to pursue prosecutions. The work will involve detailed examination of flight logs, communications and other material referenced in the documents, alongside witness statements and any new complaints from potential victims.
Authorities emphasised the scale and complexity of the task, and declined to predict what results may emerge as prosecutors sift through the files and complaints now in hand.