A large part of the files in the Jeffrey Epstein abuse scandal were previously secret. Now the court wants to reveal numerous of Epstein's contacts.
New York – As a New York court announced at the beginning of December, hundreds of secret files relating to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are to be published in the first week of January. The background is an order from Judge Loretta Preska of the federal court in Manhattan, the name of around to reveal 180 people who were connected to Epstein. It is believed that some prominent people appear on the list – including the British Prince Andrew (63) and the former US President Bill Clinton (77).
So far, the people in the documents in court have only been discussed anonymously. These are victims, employees, business partners and alleged accomplices of Epstein. According to the federal judge, there is no longer any reason for this because many of the people listed have already been quoted in the media or can be easily identified through interviews in recent years. The judge therefore scheduled the names to be published at the beginning of January 2024. The people affected were able to object to the decision.
Court wants to publish Jeffrey Epstein's contacts: Why Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew are in focus
On the one hand, it is expected that the British Prince Andrew will appear in the documents. The background is a libel lawsuit filed by US plaintiff Virginia Giuffre against Epstein's ex-lover and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in 2016. Giuffre accused Epstein and Maxwell, among other things, of encouraging her to have sex with Prince Andrew and several other prominent men when she was 17 have. Prince Andrew denied the allegations and claimed he did not remember ever meeting Giuffre. Following the allegations, Prince Andrew was kicked out of Buckingham Palace.
The lawsuit was settled the following year, but the Miami Herald took legal action to gain access to the files and investigate the Epstein network. The names on the list at that time were all listed only with numbers and the pseudonym “Doe”.
Should be on this list Former US President Bill Clinton also appeared. According to information from ABC News He was given the pseudonym “John Doe 36”. Giuffre never made any allegations against Clinton, but claimed she met the ex-president on Epstein's private Caribbean island. Clinton's name is said to appear more than 50 times in court records, but the former president's mentions are often related to efforts to subpoena him “to testify under oath about his relationship with Epstein,” according to the US broadcaster.
The abuse scandal surrounding Epstein and his accomplice Maxwell
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and found dead in his prison cell in August 2019. The businessman, who had connections in the highest circles, is said to have sexually abused numerous girls, including underage girls. His ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty in December 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022. According to the court, she had helped Epstein for years to recruit underage girls and young women, some of whom were passed on to other men.
An earlier indictment against Epstein had resulted in a very advantageous deal for the entrepreneur, which made him a symbol of a social elite that can get away with crime. His relationships with celebrities and his death at the age of 66 gave rise to numerous rumors and conspiracy theories. (nz/dpa/afp)
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