France expands Epstein probe with ten new suspected victims
The investigation into the late US financier’s network has widened following the release of US Justice Department files, with authorities now interviewing victims located abroad and re-examining seized records.
Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau has confirmed that approximately ten new suspected victims of Jeffrey Epstein have come forward in France’s ongoing investigation into the late US sex offender’s network. Speaking to the RTL broadcaster, Beccuau stated that around 20 individuals have made themselves known to authorities since she urged potential victims to speak up in February. While some of these claims were already part of the existing inquiry, the prosecutor noted that the latest group represents individuals previously unknown to investigators.
The decision to expand the probe follows the release of files from the United States Justice Department investigation into Epstein. French magistrates are now examining human trafficking and offences involving French perpetrators who may have facilitated the financier’s crimes. Authorities are currently interviewing the new victims, some of whom are located abroad, with investigators arranging meetings in Paris to accommodate their schedules.
In addition to witness interviews, French authorities have re-examined Epstein’s digital records, including computers, telephone logs, and address books. Beccuau indicated that her team is making requests for international assistance to support the widening inquiry. The investigation also encompasses suspected victims who previously spoke during probes into former European model agency boss Gerald Marie and late model agent Jean-Luc Brunel.
The French inquiry gained momentum after authorities searched Epstein’s luxury apartment in Paris in September 2019, the month after he died in a US prison cell while facing charges of trafficking underage girls for sex. Brunel was arrested in 2020 on allegations of sexually abusing minors and procuring victims for Epstein, and was found dead in prison in 2022.
Other figures linked to the probe include modelling scout Daniel Siad, with two former models alleging he groomed them to deliver them to Epstein in the 2000s and to Marie in the 1990s. Additionally, fifteen women urged French authorities in March to investigate Marie for possible connections to Epstein. The exact number of victims who will ultimately be substantiated remains undetermined as investigators continue to listen to claims and review evidence.
