Modelling aid close to Epstein, who hanged to death, was suicidal: Report

Jean-Luc Brunel, the modelling agent close to now-deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while in jail, had previously tried to take his life, the New York Post reported his lawyer saying. 

Mathias Chichportich, his lawyer, iterated to the Miami Herald that the 74-year-old, who allegedly helped Epstein secure young women and girls, had shown a history of making suicide attempts since his arrest in December 2020. 

However, as per the newspaper’s reports, Brunel wasn’t on suicide watch, known as ’emergency protection’ in France. If he were, then Brunel would be placed in a separate cell. There, the corners would be rounded, paper clothes, and bedsheets which can tear. These are in place to prevent inmates from hurting themselves, the Miami Herald reported. 

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Brunel was awaiting trial on charges of rape and sexual assault. He also faced an investigation for trafficking minors. While Brunel rejected these charges, he was found hanging in his cell in the same way as Epstein. 

Notably, the news of Brunel’s death sparked concern among Ghislaine Maxwell’s family. Maxwell is currently in prison doing time for being privy to Epstein’s life as a paedophile and child trafficker. 

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Her brother, Ian Maxwell, took the opportunity to point out that neither Epstein nor Brunel was on suicide watch. Fearing for her safety at the detention centre, he stated, “Despite the psychiatrist advising to the contrary, she was deemed a suicide risk and they are continuing to wake her up every 15 minutes in the night. It’s a complete violation of prisoner rights and human rights”, as per New York Post. 

Of those imprisoned in the Jeffrey Epstein case, Ghislaine Maxwell is currently alive. She’s also been trying to get a retrial. One of the jurors reportedly said to the media that he was sexually abused as a child, and used the experience to influence and rally the remaining jurors to give Maxwell a guilty verdict.