Brunel had been charged with rape of minors over the age of 15.
ABC Information has discovered that disgraced modeling agent and Jeffrey Epstein affiliate Jean Luc Brunel died by suicide in his jail cell Saturday night time in Paris.
The Paris prosecutor’s workplace confirmed to ABC Information that Brunel was discovered lifeless in his jail cell round 1:00 a.m. native time at La Sante Jail.
Legal professionals for Brunel additionally advised ABC Information that Brunel has died by suicide. The prosecutor’s workplace declined to substantiate these particulars of Brunel’s demise.
In December 2020, Brunel was charged with rape of minors over the age of 15 and sexual harassment — a criminal offense in France.
“[Brunel’s] misery (despair) was the considered one of a 75-year-old man who was destroyed by the judicial-media lynching and we must always query it. Our shopper firmly asserted he by no means abused any ladies. He made a number of efforts to show it. His choice was not led by a sense of guilt however by a deep feeling of injustice,” Brunel’s attorneys Mathias Chichportich, Marianne Abgrall and Christophe Ingrain mentioned in an announcement.
A delegate from the Pressure Ouvriere Union for France’s Penitentiaries, Erwan Saoudi, additional confirmed Brunel’s demise.
Saoudi mentioned the jail’s process are that jail guard conduct 5 test on prisoners each night time. Saoudi mentioned whereas there was no closed-circuit TV inside Brunel’s cell — video in jail corridors proves that jail guards didn’t miss any of those checks.
Saoudi mentioned Brunel died by suicide simply after the guard spherical [of checks] “which reveals the robust will of Jean-Luc Brunel to kill himself.” Saoudi added that Brunel was not on suicide watch.
Brunel was initially arrested in Charles De Gaulle Airport in December 2020. In response to Paris prosecutors, Brunel was initially held in a probe into the rape of minors and trafficking of minors for sexual exploitation in affiliation with their probe into attainable crimes dedicated by Epstein. Days later, Brunel was charged with rape of minors over the age of 15 and sexual harassment. Brunel maintained he was harmless.
In January 2021, Virginia Giuffre flew to Paris to supply testimony at a closed-door listening to on Brunel’s detention.
Giuffre, in the identical courtroom submitting in 2014 by which she first accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her, claimed to have been trafficked by Epstein and his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell to Brunel.
Brunel had denied Giuffre’s allegations.
ABC Information’ James Hill contributed to this report.
If you’re combating ideas of suicide or anxious a couple of buddy or liked one, assist is offered. Name the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] at no cost, confidential emotional help 24 hours a day, 7 days every week. It’s also possible to attain the Trevor Venture at 1-866-488-7386 or the Disaster Textual content Line by texting “START” to 741741.
