Jean-Luc Brunel, a modeling agent related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, was discovered useless in his cell on Saturday, in keeping with the Paris prosecutor’s workplace.
The 76-year-old was dealing with sexual harassment and rape expenses and had been in pretrial detention for greater than a yr.
Brunel was found hanged in his cell within the La Sante jail in Paris. An investigation has been opened into the reason for dying.
Brunel’s rape and assault allegations
Prosecutors stated Brunel was suspected of getting raped, assaulted and harassed a number of minor and grownup victims and having organized transport and internet hosting of younger girls for Epstein.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who was a key plaintiff in opposition to Epstein, accused Brunel of utilizing her as a “intercourse slave” and stated she had been pressured to have intercourse with well-known politicians and businessmen, together with Brunel.
Prince Andrew was amongst these accused of sexually assaulting Giuffre when she was underage and on Tuesday reached a settlement settlement.
Based on a assertion, Prince Andrew acknowledged that Epstein trafficked “numerous younger women” over a few years and stated the prince “regrets his affiliation with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and different survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”
Lengthy earlier than the Epstein scandal broke, Brunel was additionally accused of rape by a number of fashions in a 1988 documentary by CBS.
Epstein additionally discovered useless in pretrial detention
Epstein was arrested in New Jersey on intercourse trafficking expenses in July 2019. The 66-year-old was discovered useless in his jail cell two weeks later, with health workers claiming the dying was a suicide.
Epstein was linked to quite a few well-known folks, most notably former US Presidents Invoice Clinton and Donald Trump and the UK’s Prince Andrew.
Epstein died by suicide greater than two years in the past whereas in jail awaiting trial on intercourse trafficking expenses.
Disgraced British socialite, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was additionally an affiliate and one-time girlfriend of Epstein, was convicted on 5 counts of intercourse trafficking by a New York court docket in December. She has formally requested a retrial.
kb,lo/wd (AP, AFP, dpa)