Paris prosecutor opens inquiry into whether Epstein committed crimes in France

By Simon Carraud

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry March 28, 2017 and obtained by Reuters July 10, 2019. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout/File Photo via REUTERS.

 

PARIS (Reuters) - The chief prosecutor in Paris has opened a preliminary inquiry to determine whether late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein committed any sex crimes on French territory or against any underage French victims, prosecutor Remy Heitz's office said on Friday.

 

Epstein was arrested on July 6 in New Jersey after his private jet landed on a flight from Paris, where he had a residence on Avenue Foch, one of the French capital's most exclusive addresses in the 16th District near the Arc de Triomphe.

 

He pleaded not guilty to U.S. charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14. Epstein died on Aug. 10 in his jail cell in Manhattan at the age of 66. An autopsy report concluded he had hanged himself.

 

Lawyers who represented Epstein in his U.S. criminal case could not immediately be reached for comment on the French move. A spokesman for federal prosecutors in Manhattan declined to comment on the French investigation.

 

The French prosecutor's office gave no details about any possible charges against Epstein, but the French arm of "Innocence in Danger", a movement against sexual abuse of children, said it had more information that it would share with investigators.

 

"Innocence in Danger will reserve for the judicial authority 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," it said in a statement.

 

Epstein's death at the federal jail triggered multiple investigations. It prompted U.S. Attorney General William Barr to criticise "serious irregularities" at the facility, and to remove the acting chief of the federal Bureau of Prisons.

 

Barr has said that the criminal investigation into any possible co-conspirators of Epstein would continue.

 

Earlier this month, French gender equality minister Marlene Schiappa had called on authorities to open an investigation.

 

Epstein, a registered sex offender who once socialized with President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, pleaded guilty in 2008 to Florida state charges of unlawfully paying a teenage girl for sex. He was sentenced to 13 months in a county jail, a deal widely criticized as too lenient.

 

(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Pineau, Sudip Kar-Gupta and Geert De Clercq; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Gareth Jones)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-24

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Seems like a great use of time and resources. Perhaps they will exhume the body and put him on trial like Weekend at Bernie's.

Nice for the French to wait until he died to start an investigation. They wouldn't have wanted to inconvenience poor old Jeffrey would they. Bet Mr Polansky is having a tense morning.

The UK palace will deny anything and everything just in case any more damming photos turnup before the video stash gets found ????

4 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

The UK palace will deny anything and everything just in case any more damming photos turnup before the video stash gets found ????

They've already denied any connection with Epstein, unbelievable..

 

Roman Polanski?

 

That's right Malibukid, Epstein was Polanski's nephew. 

15 minutes ago, NickJ said:

That's right Malibukid, Epstein was Polanski's nephew. 

Woooow.... Are you sure? Link please.

10 hours ago, HLover said:

Seems like a great use of time and resources. Perhaps they will exhume the body and put him on trial like Weekend at Bernie's.

I understand your feeling but there's others that need to pay, nobody should be able to use people like  a piece of garbage no matter how well connected they are..

 

 

lhttps://www.france24.com/en/20190812-usa-jeffrey-epstein-contacts-sex-scandal-suicide-paedophilia-clinton-trump-uk-prince-andrew-mitchell

 

10 hours ago, HLover said:

Seems like a great use of time and resources. Perhaps they will exhume the body and put him on trial like Weekend at Bernie's.

Identified victims may be able to have access to compensation from his estate.

 

2 hours ago, NickJ said:

That's right Malibukid, Epstein was Polanski's nephew. 

Well, that is new news to many including me

Identified victims may be able to have access to compensation from his estate.
 

And there we have it,why not complain when it happened ,not jump on the bandwagon now for a handout?

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

1 hour ago, ivor bigun said:

And there we have it,why not complain when it happened ,not jump on the bandwagon now for a handout?

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Arguably the most ignorant post I’be read in a long time.

 

Not least because at least one case was brought against Epstein and his co-accuses child rapist Donald Trump, the plaintiff withdrew after receiving threats to her self and her family.