GENEVA — February 18, 2026. Allegations contained in the recently released “Epstein Files” may amount to crimes against humanity, according to independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. 

The panel said millions of documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein suggest the existence of a “global criminal enterprise” involving systematic sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation of women and girls.

The experts noted that the files reveal disturbing evidence of sexual slavery, reproductive violence, enforced disappearance, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, and even femicide. 

“These crimes were committed against a backdrop of supremacist beliefs, racism, corruption, extreme misogyny, and the commodification and dehumanisation of women and girls from different parts of the world,” they said in a statement.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law in December 2025, mandated the full release of Epstein-related documents. Epstein, a wealthy financier, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking underage girls. The disclosure of the files has reignited global outrage and calls for accountability.

UN experts stressed that no one should be considered “too wealthy or too powerful to be above the law.” They urged governments to investigate and prosecute those implicated, warning that failure to act would undermine international justice and human rights protections.

The revelations have intensified debates about systemic abuse, corruption, and the protection of vulnerable women and children worldwide. Human rights advocates say the case underscores the urgent need for stronger mechanisms to combat sexual exploitation and ensure survivors receive justice.

This development marks one of the most significant human rights challenges of recent years, with the UN emphasizing that the scale and severity of the alleged crimes demand a coordinated global response.