Women who accused late financier Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse recently filed lawsuits against two banks, alleging that they financially benefitted from Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking operations.
The women, who were not identified in the court filings cited the United States federal anti-sex trafficking laws and are seeking class-action status.
The lawsuits were filed on Thursday, November 24, and the plaintiffs accused the banks of “providing the requisite financial support for the continued operation of Epstein’s international sex trafficking organisation”.
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Jeffrey Epstein Accusers Sue Banks
The women accused the banks of ignoring “red flags” about their client and benefitting from Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking operations. The lawyers representing the women had previously represented dozens of Epstein’s accusers.
The women are also seeking financial damages.
The plaintiffs alleged that the banks’ actions were in violation of the Racketeers Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO). The law is used to target illegal conspiracies which were target organised crime.
The lawyers for the anonymous plaintiffs wrote in the lawsuit, “Epstein’s sex-trafficking venture was not possible without the assistance and complicity of a financial institution—specifically, a banking institution.”
The lawsuit added that the bank provided his operations with an “appearance of legitimacy” to the sex-trafficking venture. The banks ensured “its continued operation and sexual abuse and sex-trafficking of young women and girls”, according to the lawsuit.
The court filings came after New York opened up a one-year period which allowed adult sex abuse survivors to file cases that would previously would be too old to be considered in court.
One of the banks accused by the women had previously admitted they made a “critical mistake” when they took on Epstein as a client. However, the spokesman for the bank said, “We believe this claim lacks merit and will present our arguments in court”.
One of the lawyers, Bradley Edwards said in a written statement, “Epstein and his co-conspirators could not have victimised without assistance from wealthy individuals and financial institutions”.
Edwards added, “The time has come for the real enablers to be held responsible, especially his wealthy friends and the financial institutions that played an integral role”.
Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
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