On November 4, 2022, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, named in the complaints as Jane Doe 1 (“Doe”), sued Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan, as an individual and as a class, alleging the banks’ actions facilitated Epstein’s sex trafficking venture. In the suit, Doe claims the banks both facilitated Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking operation and ignored red flags about a client. Both banks continued to allow Epstein to continue to transfer large sums of money without questioning the abundant cash flow, even after extensive publicity about Epstein’s illegal sexual activities.
The two lawsuits are currently seeking both a class action status and unspecified financial damages. In other words, Doe is suing both banks on behalf of the entire group of women who were impacted by Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. The suits were filed in the state of New York, which, under the Adult Survivors Act, permits sexual abuse survivors to sue their alleged abusers, even if the statute of limitations has expired. Doe is seeking unspecified damages, as under New York law, if damages are specified prior to trial, it can prevent additional monetary damages from being added in jury instructions.
As we previously reported, before he died by suicide, Epstein was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The charges accused Epstein of operating a sex trafficking ring from 2002 to 2005 in both Manhattan and Palm Beach, as well as allegedly paying girls as young as fourteen for sex. Since his death, there have been other lawsuits in the Epstein case, and in June of 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell, one of Epstein’s longtime associates, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aiding Epstein’s sexual abuse of minors. The suit also comes after New York regulators fined Deutsche Bank $150 million in 2020 for “mistakes and sloppiness” in its dealings with Epstein.
The CSE Institute commends the bravery of the survivors in this case as they continue to fight for their rights by testifying and detailing the impact Epstein’s abuse had on their lives. As the complaint articulates, “Without the financial institution’s participation, Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme could not have existed” or flourished.
In addition to this suit, there are still several other suits pending.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates on this matter.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.