Paris prosecutors open 2 Epstein-linked probes and call on victims to come forward

French authorities have launched two new investigations into potential crimes linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender whose case continues to reverberate globally years after his death.

Paris prosecutor Laurence Beccuau announced Wednesday that separate probes will examine both alleged sex abuse crimes and financial wrongdoing connected to Epstein’s activities in France. The investigations will be handled by specialized magistrates who will analyze files recently released by U.S. authorities, along with media reports and new complaints.

“These publications will inevitably reactivate the trauma of certain victims,” Beccuau told France Info news broadcaster. “We are convinced that some victims are not necessarily known to us, and that perhaps these publications will lead them to come forward.”

The prosecutor’s office is actively encouraging victims who may have remained silent until now to file formal complaints or provide witness statements to support both French and international investigations. The timing coincides with the U.S. Justice Department’s release of more than 3 million pages of documents, plus thousands of videos and photos related to Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

French investigators also plan to revisit material from previous investigations in light of new revelations. This includes the case of Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent who was a frequent companion of Epstein and was considered central to the French investigation into alleged sexual exploitation of women and girls. That investigation was closed in 2022 after Brunel was found dead in his Paris jail cell while awaiting trial on accusations of rape and sex trafficking of minors.

Epstein maintained strong connections to France, frequently traveling to the country and owning apartments in Paris. His activities there have implicated several high-profile French figures in recent months.

Former Culture Minister Jack Lang, 86, stepped down earlier this month as head of the prestigious Arab World Institute in Paris amid allegations of tax fraud. The financial prosecutors’ office has opened an investigation into Lang and his daughter Caroline regarding their alleged links to Epstein through an offshore company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The diplomatic corps has also been shaken by connections to the Epstein case. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot recently informed prosecutors of allegations involving Fabrice Aidan, a senior French diplomat whose name appears more than 200 times in the Epstein files. Communications dating back to 2010, when Aidan worked at the United Nations, suggest he shared diplomatic documents with Epstein.

“I am also launching an administrative investigation and a disciplinary procedure,” Barrot announced on social media platform X, though he did not provide specific details about the allegations. Emails also indicate Aidan had an apparent close relationship with Terje Rød-Larsen, a prominent Norwegian diplomat who, along with his wife, faces scrutiny over contacts with Epstein.

Through his lawyer Jade Dousselin, Aidan has denied any wrongdoing, with Dousselin issuing a statement calling for respect of the presumption of innocence principle.

These developments in France represent just one facet of the continuing global fallout from the Epstein case. The mass release of documents has prompted investigations in multiple countries as authorities examine the extent of Epstein’s network and activities across borders.

The French investigations highlight the complex international dimensions of the Epstein case, which continues to unfold years after his death, affecting political, cultural, and diplomatic figures across Europe and beyond.