What Happened
Paris prosecutor Laurence Beccuau announced the dual investigations on February 18, 2026, with one probe focusing on sex abuse crimes and another targeting financial misconduct connected to Epstein’s network. Each investigation will be handled by specialized magistrates.
The announcement comes after the U.S. Department of Justice released an unprecedented cache of more than 3 million pages of documents, plus thousands of videos and photos related to Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
“All that data … some will shed light on others to get a well-informed, very broad, panoramic view,” Beccuau said, emphasizing that prosecutors will use the released files alongside media reports and new complaints to build their cases.
The investigations have already ensnared high-profile French figures. Jack Lang, 86, the former Culture Minister who served under Presidents François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, resigned from his position as head of the Arab World Institute earlier this month after his name appeared 673 times in correspondence with Epstein between 2012 and 2019.
Why It Matters
This represents the most significant expansion of Epstein-related investigations since his death, marking the first time French prosecutors have actively pursued new cases rather than simply responding to U.S. requests for assistance.
The probes could expose the full scope of Epstein’s international trafficking network, which authorities believe extended far beyond his operations in the United States and Caribbean. France has emerged as a crucial piece of this puzzle, given Epstein’s frequent travels to Paris and his ownership of apartments there.
Beccuau specifically called on victims who may never have spoken up to file formal complaints or provide witness accounts to “feed French and foreign investigations.” She acknowledged that “these publications will inevitably reactivate the trauma of certain victims,” but emphasized the importance of their testimony.
The investigations also signal France’s commitment to addressing elite corruption and abuse, particularly after criticism over how authorities handled previous cases involving powerful figures.
Background
French authorities have been grappling with Epstein connections since his 2019 arrest. The most significant previous case involved Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent and frequent Epstein companion who was accused of rape and sex trafficking of minors. That investigation was closed in 2022 after Brunel was found dead in his Paris jail cell while awaiting trial.
Brunel was considered central to understanding Epstein’s alleged sexual exploitation network in France, making the current investigations crucial for filling gaps left by his death.
The Jack Lang case centers on Prytanee LLC, an offshore company founded in 2016 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lang’s daughter Caroline held 50% of the company’s shares, which contained $1.4 million and was presented as a fund supporting young artists. Caroline Lang appeared in a will signed by Epstein two days before his death, promising her $5 million, though she says she was unaware of this bequest and never received the money.
Jack Lang has denied wrongdoing, saying he met Epstein through filmmaker Woody Allen about 15 years ago and was “completely shocked” to learn of Epstein’s crimes. He described accusations against him as “unfounded” and said he welcomed the investigation “with serenity and even relief.”
What’s Next
French authorities are now examining three additional cases involving French nationals with potential Epstein connections:
- Fabrice Aidan: A French diplomat under investigation for allegedly providing Epstein with “diplomatic information, services or his international networks”
- Daniel Siad: A model recruiter facing a rape complaint from a Swedish woman regarding alleged crimes in France during the 1990s
- Frédéric Chaslin: A conductor facing sexual harassment allegations from 2016
The success of these investigations will largely depend on victims coming forward. French prosecutors have established dedicated channels for reporting and are working with international partners to coordinate testimony and evidence.
Legal experts suggest the investigations could take years to complete, given the complexity of international financial networks and the challenge of building cases around decades-old alleged crimes. However, the massive document release provides prosecutors with more evidence than previous investigations had access to.
The broader implications extend beyond individual prosecutions. These cases could reshape understanding of how international sex trafficking networks operated among elite circles and potentially influence how France handles future cases involving powerful figures.