JEFFREY Epstein’s pal Jean-Luc Brunel hung himself in prison despite six prison patrols who were supposed to be looking after “vulnerable inmates”.
Brunel – who is believed to have been a key member of Epstein’s inner circle – was not on suicide watch at the time and did not have an cameras in his cell at La Santé prison in Paris.
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Despite this however, the suspected paedo is reported to have been under near constant watch by patrols after being sectioned at the notorious prison, which is one of the toughest in France.
While CCTV is commonplace in the corridors and gateways of French prisons, the vast majority of cells are not under video surveillance.
This is ensure a degree of privacy, and to make sure that European human rights legislation is not violated.
Brunel apparently found a time window between the patrols and managed to hang himself – escaping justice following accusations of trafficking and rape.
Brunel will likely take many of the secrets about Epstein and his horrific “sexual pyramid scheme” ring to the grave.
His death echoes that of Epstein, who committed suicide in his New York jail in August 2019 – and also was not captured on CCTV.
Two cameras in front of his cell malfunctioned that night, and a third camera captured footage that was deemed “unusable”.
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It has only fuelled the questions and spiralling conspiracy theories around Epstein’s death – with the multimillionaire known to have rubbed shoulders with the rich and powerful.
Erwan Saoudi, a prison warden trade union representative in the French capital, said: “On average, there are four to six patrols in for vulnerable people in the prison where Brunel was held.”
“He chose to carry out this act between two patrols,” said Mr Saoudi.
“First aid could not salvage the situation. This shows that the prisoner was determined to go through with it.
“What’s for sure is that he was alone at the time.”
Despite all the evidence pointing to suicide, Paris judicial police have launched an investigation into the exact cause of Brunel’s death.
Brunel’s apparent suicide comes days after Prince Andrew agreed to settle a lawsuit with Virginia Roberts Giuffre accusing him of sex abuse after they met through Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The settlement is thought to be worth around £12 million.
Mr Giuffre also alleges that she was raped on numerous occasions by Brunel, who was a close friend of convicted British sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently in prison in the USA.
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The death of Brunel potentially throws up another storm for Andrew as he could face more questions over his association with Epstein.
A number of former models have also waived their anonymity to make their allegations against Brunel public.
Among them was Dutch model, Thysia Huisman, who was 18 when she first stayed with Brunel, and she said she was raped by him in 1991.
On Saturday, she Tweeted: “Jean-Luc Brunel has been found dead in his prison cell. He supposedly hung himself last night. I am in shock. Was this really suicide? And it feels disappointing.
“This is a completely different ending without any real justice for his victims.”
She is one of at least four alleged victims represented by Anne-Claire Le Jeune, a Paris barrister who said Mr Brunel’s death was a source of “frustration” for her clients.
Ms Le Jeune said: “Epstein and Brunel died in their cells and Prince Andrew has struck a confidentiality deal.
“All that leaves the impression there are lots of grey areas and it will be hard to get to the truth about this ring.”
Brunel was the target of a wider investigation opened in Paris in August 2019 looking into Epstein’s associates in France.
In a 2016 deposition, Ms Guiffre claimed that Epstein and Maxwell sex trafficked her into Brunel’s hands when she was 16.
She also claimed Brunel attacked her on several occasions on Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean.
Speaking last September, Ms Giuffre said Epstein told her he slept with “over a thousand women that Brunel brought in”.
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And it is also claimed that Brunel once offered up three 12-year-old girls to Epstein as a birthday present.
Both Prince Andrew and Brunel have vehemently denied all claims against them, with the Prince considered a key witness who both the Americans and the French want to interview in person.
Ms Giuffre had urged more witnesses allegedly abused by Brunel to come forward.
In a tweet on Saturday, Ms Giuffre said: “The suicide of Jean-Luc Brunel, who abused me and countless girls and young women, ends another chapter.
“I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to face him in a final trial to hold him accountable, but gratified that I was able to testify in person last year to keep him in prison.’
Following Brunel’s death, Maxwell’s family described the news as “shocking” and said they were scared for Maxwell’s safety at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she is currently being held.
Speaking from his home in London, Maxwell’s brother Ian told the New York Post: “Another death by hanging in a high-security prison. My reaction is one of total shock and bewilderment.”
Maxwell is awaiting sentencing after being found guilty over her part in Epstein’s scheme in December.
