Vice‑president of the European Parliament Katarina Barley (SPD) said that the EU should carry out investigations into US sexual‑crime suspect Jeffrey Epstein. “We cannot rely solely on the United States’ investigations” she told “Handelsblatt”. While national authorities have jurisdiction, the policywoman stressed that “coordinated, cooperative action at the European level in such cross‑border cases is incredibly important”. Europol could support the national investigations.
Barley highlighted the “significant international dimension” of the scandal. “We must follow any leads on potential links of the Epstein network in Europe, especially given the suspicion of foreign influence” she added. “A coordinated European review sends an unmistakable signal: we are determined to confront abuse of power decisively”.
