USA Court documents on Epstein show sexual abuse
In the abuse scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, newly released court documents contain detailed statements about the actions of the notorious US sex offender and ex-multimillionaire. The documents originate from interviews in Florida in 2006, where the now-dead Epstein was to be tried many years before the global scandal of 2019.
02.07.2024, 07:24
02.07.2024, 17:56
SDA
The documents contain the statements of several teenagers who recount how they first massaged Epstein for several hundred dollars at his estate and were then sexually abused and raped. The businessman and confidant of numerous influential celebrities entered into a deal with the Florida state prosecutor's office in 2008 and pleaded guilty to several crimes. This meant that there was never a federal trial for the abuse allegations.
Epstein only served a prison sentence of 13 months. This agreement was considered scandalous, especially after his re-arrest and the New York indictment in 2019. The deal made Epstein a symbol of a social elite that gets away with crime. The case shook the USA.
Hundreds of dollars for sexual acts - and new girls
The public prosecutor's office in New York accused Epstein of abusing dozens of underage girls when he was indicted around five years ago. According to the indictment, the businessman set up an illegal sex trafficking ring in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005. He is also alleged to have supplied minors to other men.
These allegations are also supported by the documents that have now been published. In them, a 14-year-old from Florida at the time of the crime recounts how an acquaintance hired her for Epstein and promised that she would receive 200 dollars for a massage. At his property, she was then asked to strip down to her underwear.
During the massage, Epstein then promised the girl an additional 100 dollars for sexual acts, according to her interrogation. Epstein also paid money for those who could bring him new girls.
Rumors and conspiracy theories about celebrities
Around a month after his arrest in 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell at the age of 66. According to official reports, he took his own life. The case had also caused a worldwide stir because the entrepreneur was networked in the highest circles. His relationships with celebrities and his death led to numerous rumors and conspiracy theories.
Epstein liked to appear in public with celebrities and had - at least at times - contacts with former US presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton as well as Britain's Prince Andrew. The latter had to largely withdraw from the public eye due to his involvement in the abuse scandal.
The documents that have now been published were the subject of a years-long legal dispute and were only allowed to be released following a decision by Governor Ron DeSantis in the spring.
