Epstein Files: France Launches Investigation into French Nationals’ Links to Sex Offender
Paris prosecutors announced Saturday the formation of a specialized team of magistrates to analyze files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with a particular focus on potential implications for French nationals.
The move comes after the release of documents by U.S. Authorities detailing Epstein’s extensive network, which included numerous prominent figures, some of whom are French. The prosecutor’s office stated the team will also re-examine the case of Jean-Luc Brunel, a former French modeling agency executive and close associate of Epstein, who died in a Paris prison in 2022 while facing charges of raping minors.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the new team will collaborate with prosecutors from the national financial crimes unit and police to initiate investigations into any suspected crimes involving French citizens. The aim is to “extract any piece that could be usefully reused in a new investigative framework,” a statement from the office read.
Brunel’s death led to the dropping of the case against him in 2023. Prosecutors previously stated that an investigation revealed Brunel was “a close friend of Jeffrey Epstein” who had facilitated modeling opportunities for young women from disadvantaged backgrounds. Investigations had indicated he engaged in sexual acts with underage girls in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Paris, and the south of France, with ten women having made accusations against him, some detailing instances of forced sexual penetration after being encouraged to consume alcohol.
The investigation extends beyond Brunel. Prosecutors confirmed they are examining three specific cases involving a French diplomat, a modeling agent, and a musician, following requests for investigation. The French foreign ministry requested a review of the reported appearance of senior diplomat Fabrice Aidan in the released Epstein files. “An investigation is under way to gather various pieces of evidence that could substantiate this report,” the prosecutor’s office said.
A complaint filed by a Swedish woman accusing Daniel Siad, a model recruiter with ties to Epstein, of “sexual acts that she describes as rape and that may have been committed in France in 1990” is also under review. Prosecutors are investigating allegations of sexual harassment against French conductor Frédéric Chaslin, reportedly committed in 2016.
The fallout from the Epstein files has already led to the resignation of Jack Lang, a former French minister, from his position as head of the Arab World Institute. Lang, while denying any wrongdoing, cited his shock at discovering his name in the statutes of an offshore company founded by Epstein in 2016. The national financial prosecutor’s office has opened a preliminary investigation into Lang and his daughter, Caroline Lang, for “aggravated tax fraud and money laundering.”