While Jeffrey Epstein -- U.S. billionaire financier who was in the process of being charged with allegedly running a sex trafficking network -- is dead, that isn't stopping others from seeking justice.
Marlene Schiappa, France’s Gender Equality Minister, on Monday demanded an investigation into Epstein’s activities in France, where the alleged sex trafficker owned a luxurious apartment in the country’s capital.
“The American investigation has highlighted ties with France. It therefore seems fundamental to us, and for the victims, that an investigation should be opened in France so that all the light is shed on this matter,” Schiappa said in a statement, according to Reuters.
“We would like to use this occasion to highlight again our utmost determination to protect young girls from sexual violence and especially from being exploited by criminal networks, and this should result in new measures being announced during the final quarter of this year,” the Minister continued.
Though Schiappa’s statements are heartening, Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet “later stressed that it was not the government's responsibility to initiate investigations,” per France 24.