Newsroom, February 21, 2026: A panel of independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council has stated that the so-called Epstein files contain credible evidence of large-scale sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation of women and girls.
The disclosures, stemming from the U.S. Epstein Files Transparency Act of 2025 and recent Justice Department releases of millions of pages, point to a possible "global criminal enterprise" marked by dehumanisation, racism, corruption, and misogyny.
The experts highlight acts that could qualify as sexual slavery, torture, enforced disappearance, and other grave violations, potentially meeting the international legal threshold for crimes against humanity due to their widespread, systematic, and transnational nature.
They urge thorough, impartial investigations into the allegations and how such crimes persisted unchecked for years, while criticising flawed disclosures that have retraumatized survivors.
