France Opens Investigation of Epstein Rape Allegations

By David Boddiger  |  August 25, 2019 | 5:18pm
Big Story

With world leaders, including Donald Trump, gathered in
southern France for a G7
summit this weekend, the timing of this announcement by French authorities
is interesting. On Friday, authorities said they had started a rape investigation
of the late pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and those associated
with him.

According to the Associated Press, Paris prosecutor Remy
Heitz opened a preliminary investigation of allegations
involving the rape of minors and other charges after French authorities
received “elements” and had “exchanges” with American authorities regarding the
case.

Epstein, 66, was
arrested in the U.S. in early July upon returning from France and was
charged with the sex trafficking of minors. Facing up to 45 years in prison if
convicted, Epstein
hung himself at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, New York,
a month later.

French authorities say they have information that involves
additional victims of Epstein’s, whose ages are 15 and older. According to the
AP, Epstein owned a luxury apartment on Avenue Foch, near the iconic Arc de
Triomphe.

The French advocacy group for child sex victims Innocence
En Danger said it had received statements from 10
witnesses alleging Epstein had committed sex crimes against minors in
France, according to the BBC. The group had urged authorities to start the
probe.

On Friday, Innocence En Danger said it welcomed the
announcement by the Paris Prosecutor’s Office and would provide authorities
“the content of the information and testimonies it has received in recent weeks
so as to enable investigators to carry out all investigations necessary to
uncover the truth.”

Also of interest to investigators, according to the AP, is Jean-Luc
Brunel, a French citizen who owns a modeling agency and was a close companion
of Epstein’s. One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre,
has said that she was directed to have sex with
Brunel, along with other prominent men including former New Mexico Gov.
Bill Richardson, attorney Alan Dershowitz, and Prince Andrew. All of the men
deny the claims.

The Duke of York’s involvement with Epstein has created an
ongoing scandal in the U.K. that Andrew has tried—and so far failed—to quash. The Mail on Sunday reported that Andrew spent
nearly a week with Epstein at his New York mansion in 2010. This revelation
comes a day after Andrew sought to downplay his relationship with Epstein,
claiming the two men saw each other only “infrequently,” according to The Mail.

“I can only reiterate my regret that I was mistaken to think
that what I thought I knew of him was evidently not the real person, given what
we now know,” Andrew stated.

All of this means that following Epstein’s death, the
investigation into his crimes—and those of his powerful associates—has now gone
global.

The charges being investigated in France include
rape of minors 15 and older, sexual aggression, and criminal association with a
view of committing crimes, the AP said. Once a preliminary investigation is
finished, authorities will decide either to issue formal charges or close the
case.

 
Join the discussion...