Several women are making serious allegations against the FBI: The US Federal Police are said to have ignored tips about multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse network for years.
According to media reports, twelve alleged victims have sued the FBI in the abuse scandal involving US multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019. The women accuse the US Federal Police of negligence in the investigation, as reported by CBS News and CNN, among others.
The FBI’s “repeated and persistent failures, delays and inaction” allowed Epstein to continue his network of abuse for more than 20 years, according to the lawsuit filed in New York. There were first indications of cases of abuse as early as 1996, but these were ignored by the FBI for years. The authority only opened proceedings in 2006.
Epstein’s arrest and death
Epstein was arrested in July 2019. The businessman is said to have sexually abused numerous girls, including underage girls, and introduced them to other men. About a month after his arrest, he was found dead in his cell at the age of 66. According to official information, he took his own life.
For decades, the abuse of numerous minors is said to have taken place at Epstein’s properties in New York, Florida, Santa Fe and the Virgin Islands. An earlier indictment against Epstein resulted in a very advantageous deal for the entrepreneur, which made him a symbol of a social elite that can get away with crime.
Plaintiffs’ demands and FBI response
“The FBI turned its back on the surviving victims, and this lawsuit seeks to hold the FBI accountable for failing to act when it absolutely should have acted,” CBS News quoted attorney Jennifer Plotkin, whose firm filed the lawsuit, as saying has. In it, the plaintiffs, using a pseudonym, are also demanding compensation in an as yet unspecified amount. According to the media, the FBI does not comment on legal disputes, the federal police said in response to the allegations.
The Epstein case also caused a stir worldwide because the entrepreneur was networked in the highest circles. His celebrity relationships and death gave rise to numerous rumors and conspiracy theories.