France, UK launch probes into Epstein’s alleged trafficking and financial crimes
According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the probe will depend on the publicly available material alongside complaints registered by the child protection groups.
Epstein, who died in a prison cell in New York in 2019, had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008. (AP Photo)
The French authorities have launched an investigation into allegations of human trafficking and financial fraud among contacts with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after the US Justice Department released millions of files of the disgraced financier’s activities.
According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the probe will depend on the publicly available material alongside complaints registered by the child protection groups.
The different subjects that would be covered in the investigation include human trafficking and crimes including money laundering, corruption and tax fraud.
Epstein, who died in a prison cell in New York in 2019, had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008. Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is in jail in US, was convicted of trafficking underage girls for sexual abuse to Epstein over many years.
Paris prosecutor Beccuau’s office, in an emailed statement, said that the publicity surrounding Epstein files would encourage other trafficking victims who have not come forward till now, to do so, Reuters reported.
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French authorities have already initiated an investigation against former culture minister Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline on suspicion of tax fraud.
The files released by the US Justice Department have shown that Epstein often visited Paris. The development comes after analysing flight logs and emails.
Meanwhile, the UK police are also investigating whether Epstein used two London airports to traffic women on private flights. Regional police forces said they are probing private flights linked to Epstein after the publication of files by the US government.
Essex Police is investigating the arrival and departure of flights at Stansted Airport, northeast of London, while the Bedfordshire Police said that they were examining flights in and out of Luton Airport.
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In a statement, the UK’s National Police Chiefs’ Council said, “We continue to work collaboratively to assess the details being made public to allow us to understand any potential impact arising from the millions of documents that have been published.”
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Epstein, who died in a prison cell in New York in 2019, had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008. (AP Photo) 
