US Attorney General William Barr has ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of juvenile girl Jeffrey Epstein, charged with abusing minor girls. A statement by Barr on Saturday said he was appalled that Epstein was found to be lifeless in his cell in a federal prison in New York following a „blatant suicide.“
According to the Minister of Justice, Epstein’s death raises „serious questions that need to be answered.“ For this reason, in addition to investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he has initiated an internal investigation by the Ministry.
The „New York Times“ („NYT“), citing a prison representative, reported that Epstein was housed in the detention center in a special unit with stricter security measures. He had not been under special observation because of possible suicidal tendencies. According to the newspaper, Epstein was found unconscious in his cell last month with markings on his neck. The „New York Times“ reported that prison authorities had already investigated on suspicion of a possible suicide attempt.
Found at 6:30 lifeless in cell
The 66-year-old was found lifeless in his cell on Saturday at 6:30 pm local time (12:30 pm CEST) and hospitalized, according to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York’s Manhattan district. There he was finally declared dead.
The federal prison is under the US Department of Justice and is considered one of the safest in the US. Notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin „El Chapo“ Guzman spent two years there before being transferred to a maximum security prison in Colorado last month.
The process would have started at the earliest in June 2020
Epstein was arrested in mid-July. Following the arrest, a judge in Manhattan ruled that Epstein must remain in jail until the start of his trial because he is a „danger to others and the community.“ The prosecutor had earlier led into the field, the risk of absconding is very high. However, Epstein’s defense had demanded that the entrepreneur be placed under house arrest for a large bail in the double-digit million range at his estate near Manhattan’s Central Park.
The trial against Epstein would have started at the earliest in June 2020 – this had been set last by the competent judge. If convicted, he would face up to 45 years imprisonment. Epstein had rejected the allegations and pleaded not guilty.
Serious allegations
The scandal surrounding the well-connected entrepreneurs in the American elite provided plenty of fuel: the prosecutor in New York accused the 66-year-old of abusing dozens of minor girls. The businessman had between 2002 and 2005 in New York and Florida built an illegal sex trade ring, it said in the indictment.
Some of the girls were only 14 years old and had been lured into large sums of money and tempted to bring more girls. Investigators reported finding hundreds of nude photos while searching Epstein’s Manhattan Mansion. Epstein had rejected the allegations and pleaded not guilty.
New York City mayor promises justice to victims
After the suicide of entrepreneur Jeffrey Epstein in prison, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to continue the investigation into the abuse scandal. „Jeffrey Epstein may have escaped his day in court, but if the wealthy predators involved in his sex ring believe they’ve just got away, they’re wrong,“ de Blasio wrote on Twitter on Saturday. He promised justice to the victims.
