Picture description: : On the 4th, some citizens in New York, USA attended a rally to demand continued investigation of the "Epstein case" and to express solidarity with the victims.
Our special correspondent in the United States Feng Yaren Our special correspondent Liu Haoran and Zhen Xiang
Federal Judge Priska in Manhattan, New York, recently issued a court order requiring the release of hundreds of sealed court documents in early 2024, including the disclosure of hundreds of people related to Identity of figures related to the case of America’s “evil businessman” Epstein. On the evening of the 3rd local time, the first batch of court documents were released, which attracted great attention from the US media and sorted out the details of the case in the documents. National Public Radio stated that the document involves former U.S. Presidents Trump and Clinton, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, British Prince Andrew, former Israeli Prime Minister Barak and other powerful people; it also involves magician David Copperfield, Actor Kevin Spacey and other literary and artistic celebrities. However, the mention of these names in the documents does not mean that they will face charges, nor does it prove that they have violated the law. Some media said that the "Epstein case" severely revealed the systemic flaws in Western society and the urgent need for justice and transparency.
"Jane Doe 36" is him
According to CNN's report on the 4th, in the 943 pages of court documents, Prince Andrew, who had already been disgraced due to the "Epstein case", once again humiliated the British royal family. According to Epstein victim Johanna Sjoberg, she received Prince Andrew at Epstein’s Manhattan apartment in 2001. When the two parties met for the first time, she was "attacked on the breast" by Prince Andrew. This indecent act was not only done in front of everyone, but was also photographed. She said in her testimony: "He (Andrew) put his hand on my breast, and everyone laughed...it was quite funny." Prince Andrew and Buckingham Palace have repeatedly denied relevant accusations.
In the above-mentioned court documents, former US President Clinton was named "John Doe 36" (meaning Jane Doe 36). This code name was mentioned more than 50 times in the latest released documents. According to Scherberg’s testimony, Epstein mentioned Clinton to her before his death. On one occasion, he told her bluntly: “Clinton likes young (girls).” She said that there was a relationship between Epstein and Clinton. Sometimes, there are certain "deals". According to reports, Clinton had a very close relationship with Epstein, who visited the White House at least 17 times during his term as president. However, as early as 2019, Clinton tried his best to distance himself from his relationship with Epstein. Although he admitted that the two had a personal relationship, he stated that he had no knowledge of the "horrible crimes" he committed. On the 3rd, Clinton's spokesperson reiterated this statement again, emphasizing to CNN that "it has been almost 20 years since the last contact between the two parties."
The American "New York" magazine reported that Sjoberg stated in the above-mentioned document that he also met rock star Michael Jackson and famous magician David Copperfield at Epstein's residence. Among them, Copperfield once came to perform for Epstein's guests. During this period, he also chatted with Scherberg and asked her if she knew "there was money to be made to recruit other girls for Epstein (to serve Epstein)." of". In addition, the name of the late famous physicist Stephen Hawking also appears in the document. In an email, Epstein denied the allegation by Giuffre, a victim in the Epstein case, that Hawking had attended a sex party for minors organized by Epstein in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In 2015, the "Epstein case" was exposed by the media. According to reports, Epstein and his girlfriend Maxwell turned his private island in the Caribbean into an "adult paradise" for the enjoyment of the powerful, and many minors became victims. On July 6, 2019, Epstein was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to abduct and sexually assault underage women. Just when the outside world thought that the "Epstein case" would come to light, Epstein suddenly died in prison. The medical examiner determined that it was suicide. .
"I can make them cancel the presidential campaign"
The New York Post of the United States published an exclusive interview with Epstein's brother Mark on the 3rd.According to interviewees, Epstein had a lot of dirty information about former presidential candidates of both parties in the United States during his lifetime. In 2016, he said to Mark with certainty: "If I combine the two candidates (Hillary and Trump), If the Trump incident comes out, they will have to cancel the campaign directly." However, Mark said that Epstein never disclosed any details of the so-called "black material" to him. After Epstein's death, Mark also expressed concerns about his life safety. He believed that his brother was "silenced" because "he knew too much."
The "New York Post" stated that Trump once had a close personal relationship with Epstein. In the 1990s, he took Epstein's private plane to and from Florida and New York seven times. Scherberg also corroborated Epstein’s “friendship” with Trump in his newly revealed confession: Once, Epstein’s private plane temporarily changed its route and landed in Atlantic City, a casino in New Jersey. Epstein said this: Said: "We called Trump and went to his casino together." However, previous investigations did not find that Trump had committed any illegal behavior in the "Epstein case", and Sjoberg also denied that he had provided him with any "Serve". On the other hand, the media is not sure about the intersection between Hillary and Epstein. The source of the so-called "black material" may come from her husband Clinton.
More accomplices may be indicted
The Associated Press reported on the 4th that the first batch of 40 "declassified" documents were released by the US court, with a total of about 250 documents and a total of 184 people related to the "Epstein case". Except for a few victims whose names will not be made public, several others will be temporarily put on hold because they are involved in other judicial proceedings, but eventually at least 170 names will be released to the public in batches. "Hindustan Times" stated that the death of the main criminal Epstein left too many unanswered questions, especially the seriousness of the crimes he and other accomplices committed have not been fully examined. The social impact of this vicious case is still lingering, and it is even regarded by public opinion as a typical case of "using power to cover up evil deeds." Hamilton, CEO of the
non-profit organization "American Children", believes that as court documents are released one after another, more people involved will be prosecuted in the future, especially in New York City. The city recently passed legislation to extend the retroactive period for sexual assault cases, extending the originally "expired" cases to March 2025. The media speculated that the list announced by the court is likely to include other well-known politicians or wealthy businessmen.
According to the US "Miami Herald" report, the victims of the "Epstein case" have achieved small victories before. For example, JPMorgan Chase was collectively criticized for maintaining business dealings with Epstein after he was first convicted. The two parties reached a settlement last year, with the investment bank agreeing to pay the plaintiff a total of US$290 million in compensation. "Bnn Breaking" news network said that as the truth continues to be revealed, this case harshly reminds us that there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless. The "Epstein case" starkly revealed the systemic flaws in Western society and the urgent need for justice and transparency. ▲
