Two new Jeffrey Epstein probes launched and Jean-Luc Brunel case revisited in Paris

Prosecutors said old investigations will also be revisited in the light of new revelations NewsWorldEuropeTwo new Jeffrey Epstein probes launched and Jean-Luc Brunel case revisited in ParisProsecutors said old investigations will also be revisited in the light of new revelationsSylvie Corbet Wednesday 18 February 2026 17:21 GMTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverVideo in new Epstein files release shows prison cellYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreParis prosecutors have opened two new investigations into potential sex abuse crimes and financial wrongdoings linked to Jeffrey Epstein.They are calling on possible victims to come forward after the release of millions of files of the millionaire financier and convicted sex offender sparked the new probes.Prosecutor Laurence Beccuau said investigators are seeking to use the files released by the U.S. administration, media reports and new complaints that are being filed. “All that data … some will shed light on others to be able to get a well-informed, very broad, panoramic view,” Beccuau said on France Info news broadcaster. One investigation will focus on sex abuse crimes, the other on financial wrongdoing, each involving specialized magistrates, she added.open image in galleryProsecutors are calling on victims who may have never spoken up before to file formal complaints (AFP via Getty Images)The move comes after the release by the U.S. Justice Department of more than 3 million pages of documents, as well as thousands of videos and photos related to Epstein, who died behind bars in 2019.“These publications will inevitably reactivate the trauma of certain victims,” she said. “We are convinced that some (victims) are not necessarily known to us, and that perhaps these publications will lead them to come forward.”She called on victims who may have never spoken up before to file formal complaints or make witness accounts to feed French and foreign investigations. Beccuau also said some material from old investigations is to be revisited in the light of new revelations. She was referring to the investigation into a French modeling agent, Jean-Luc Brunel, accused of rape and sex trafficking of minors. open image in galleryEpstein traveled to France often and had apartments in Paris (AFP via Getty Images)The probe was closed in 2022 after he was found dead in his jail cell in Paris. Brunel, a frequent companion of Epstein, was considered central to the French investigation into alleged sexual exploitation of women and girls by Epstein and his circle. Epstein traveled often to France and had apartments in Paris.In France, the highest-profile figure impacted by the recent release of the Epstein files in France is former Culture Minister Jack Lang, 86, who stepped down earlier this month as head of the Arab World Institute in Paris over suspicions of tax fraud. The financial prosecutors' office opened an investigation into Lang and his daughter Caroline Lang’s alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein through an offshore company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea.More aboutParisJeffrey EpsteinvictimsJean-Luc BrunelMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next