Paris prosecutors opened two probes on February 18, 2026—one into sex abuse crimes and another into financial wrongdoings—linked to Jeffrey Epstein’s files, urging unknown victims to come forward with complaints. Prosecutor Laurence Beccuau said the efforts will analyze over 3 million US DOJ pages, media reports, and new filings for a “panoramic view,” while revisiting closed cases.
Key Focus Areas
- Sex Abuse Probe: Specialized magistrates target potential crimes; re-examines Jean-Luc Brunel (Epstein associate, modeling agent accused of raping/trafficking minors, died by suicide in Paris jail 2022).
- Financial Probe: Centers on ex-Culture Minister Jack Lang (86) and daughter Caroline’s alleged Epstein ties via US Virgin Islands offshore firm; Lang resigned Arab World Institute post amid tax fraud laundering claims.
- Victim Call: Publications may “reactivate trauma,” prompting first-time reports to aid French/global investigations.
Context
Epstein frequented France with Paris apartments. This joins transatlantic fallout: UK flight probes/Mandelson raid [prior], US polls on elite distrust [prior], Lieu’s Trump claims [prior]. French team formed Feb 14 to extract data on nationals. No charges yet; Lang denies wrongdoing.
