Looking at the international investigations that have followed the release of the documents on the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) initially sees no direct responsibility for her ministry.
“In the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday edition) she said, “The revelations about Epstein and his network are shocking day after day”. She added that it is “absolutely disturbing” that Epstein could sexually exploit and rape young women and girls for years without ever being brought to justice. “It’s also frightening how many people sought his proximity and apparently participated”.
Hubig explained that if an initial suspicion involved Germans, the public prosecutors would become active first. “In the Ministry of Justice we are not responsible for enforcement but for criminal law” she said. “Nonetheless, I am following the political and societal debate over the revelations very closely”. Calls for German investigations have kept resurfacing.