France launches task force to investigate citizens linked to Jeffrey Epstein scandal
PARIS – Paris prosecutors announced Saturday the formation of a special team of judges to analyze evidence linking French citizens to the sex crimes case of deceased American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The prosecutor’s office said it will conduct a thorough review of the case involving Jean-Luc Brunel, a former French modeling agency executive and close associate of Epstein. Brunel died in custody in 2022.
The new investigative team will work alongside prosecutors and police from the national financial crimes unit. Their objective is to launch formal investigations into any suspects who are French nationals.
Brunel, who was charged with raping minors, allegedly used modeling opportunities to gain access to vulnerable young girls. Legal proceedings against him were dropped following his death.
Several French public figures appeared in recently released U.S. Department of Justice documents. Authorities are currently reviewing three new cases involving a diplomat, a modeling recruiter, and a musician.
Former French government minister Jack Lang resigned as head of the Arab World Institute after his name surfaced in the records. Lang and his daughter are also under a separate preliminary investigation for tax fraud and money laundering.
Lang has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Saigon Sentinel Analysis
The French judiciary’s decision to establish a specialized investigative unit marks a significant escalation in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, signaling that the legal fallout has moved decisively beyond U.S. borders. Spurred by the unsealing of U.S. court documents, the move reflects mounting international and domestic pressure on Paris to abandon its perceived inertia regarding allegations involving the country's high-profile figures.
Central to this renewed push is the reinvestigation of the Jean-Luc Brunel dossier. While Brunel’s 2022 death in custody effectively shuttered a major avenue of the French inquiry, the current "review" of the case serves a broader strategic purpose. Beyond seeking justice for Brunel’s direct victims, investigators are likely hunting for evidence of a wider network of complicity, targeting surviving accomplices and institutional enablers who have yet to face public or legal scrutiny.
The political volatility of the scandal is best illustrated by the recent downfall of former culture minister Jack Lang. Although Lang’s inclusion in the unsealed documents has not resulted in formal criminal charges related to sexual misconduct, the subsequent financial probe and his resignation represent a seismic shift for the French political and cultural establishment. For decades, proximity to figures like Epstein was viewed as a hallmark of elite social networking; it has now become a terminal professional liability. This development suggests that the Epstein case has evolved from a criminal investigation into a high-stakes trial of the French justice system’s independence and the integrity of its ruling class.