Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced that around ten new alleged victims of the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been interviewed by French authorities. The developments come after the Paris Prosecutor’s Office launched a sweeping human trafficking investigation following the U.S. government’s release of thousands of files belonging to the disgraced financier, who died in prison in 2019.
The primary objective of the active French inquiry is to identify individuals within the country who may have actively helped facilitate Epstein’s crimes, specifically by recruiting or procuring young girls for his network.
According to Beccuau, approximately twenty suspected victims have made themselves known to authorities since she publicly urged potential survivors to step forward. While about half of those individuals were already known to law enforcement from prior inquiries, the remaining ten represent entirely new victims who were previously completely unknown to the judicial system.
Beccuau explained that prosecutors are currently prioritizing listening to these women, noting that because several of them reside abroad, investigators are working to arrange specialized meetings and international travel accommodations to gather their formal testimonies.
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The expanded investigation has also renewed focus on the physical and digital evidence tied to the case. French authorities have re-examined computer hardware, telephone records, and address books seized from Epstein’s luxury Paris apartment.
Beccuau indicated that her team is preparing to submit formal requests for international judicial cooperation as they piece together the full scope of Epstein’s relationships with other key local actors. She emphasized that no suspects or implicated individuals will be formally questioned until investigators have established a comprehensive mapping of the broader French network.
The renewed probe overlaps with existing, interconnected cases involving prominent figures in the European fashion and modeling industries. Some of the victims already known to the authorities had previously come forward during investigations into Jean-Luc Brunel, a prominent modeling agent accused of raping minors and trafficking women for Epstein, who died by suicide in a Paris prison cell in 2022.
Other allegations involve Gérald Marie, the former chief executive of the Elite modeling agency, who has publicly denied all wrongdoing through his legal counsel, and modeling scout Daniel Siad, who faces separate accusations of grooming young models to introduce them to Epstein or Marie.
