In a statement earlier this week, the experts said the alleged acts described in the files could constitute some of the gravest crimes under international law, including sexual slavery, reproductive violence, enforced disappearance, torture, inhuman treatment and femicide.
They warned that the scale, systematic nature and transnational reach of the alleged atrocities could meet the legal threshold for crimes against humanity if proven. They called for investigations in all competent national and international courts.
The disclosure follows the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law in November 2025. After delays, the United States Department of Justice released a major tranche of material on January 30 2026, including more than three million pages, around two thousand videos and 180 thousand images.
Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019, was accused of running a system to recruit and exploit underage girls, many of whom were in vulnerable situations. His associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021. The newly released files have renewed scrutiny of possible additional perpetrators, financial structures and transnational links.
The experts praised survivors for their resilience and said states have a legal obligation to prevent, investigate and punish violence against women and girls, including crimes committed by private individuals. They called for independent and impartial investigations into all allegations contained in the files and urged inquiries into how such abuses were able to continue for so long.
They also criticised serious errors in the release process, warning that the exposure of sensitive victim information has put survivors at risk of stigma and retaliation. They urged governments to implement victim‑centred procedures for disclosure and redaction.
The experts said resignations by implicated figures are not a substitute for criminal accountability and welcomed moves by some countries to investigate current and former officials named in the files. They urged others to follow suit.
“No one is too wealthy or too powerful to be above the law,” they said.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
