Jeffrey Epstein's accusers feel 'cheated' by his death in prison, says lawyer

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Jack Scarola says his clients have been denied justice yet again now that Jeffrey Epstein has died. 

The multi-millionaire financier was found unresponsive in his Manhattan jail over the weekend while he awaited trial on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy involving dozens of underage girls. He was later pronounced dead in hospital. 

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons called the death an apparent suicide. An autopsy has been conducted and an investigation is underway.

Scarola represents five women who say they were abused by Epstein, two of whom were fighting to overturn the 2008 non-prosecution agreement that allowed him to avoid a potential federal life sentence by pleading guilty to state charges of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor and another similar prostitution charge.

Scarola spoke to As It Happens guest host Nil Köksal about Epstein's death and what it means for his clients. Here is part of their conversation. 

What are you hearing from your clients since the news of Jeffrey Epstein's death broke this weekend?

They are disappointed that once again they have been cheated out of an opportunity to see Jeffrey Epstein held appropriately accountable by the criminal law for his actions.

They certainly do not grieve his passing, but they regret that information that he has that may contribute to holding others responsible for their participation in his crimes may have died with him.

They are also very hopeful that as a consequence of this death, there may be others who were reluctant to speak earlier who will now be willing to come forward.

Mr. Epstein was previously on suicide watch but wasn't at the time of his death. What's your sense of how such a high-profile inmate could have reportedly taken his own life?

All I know is what I have been reading in press reports, and those press reports raise more questions than provide answers.

It seems inexplicable to me that such a high-profile individual who had obviously demonstrated a propensity towards suicide in the past could have been allowed to take his own life without substantial assistance.

What kinds of questions do you think an investigation into Mr. Epstein's death needs to be asking right now?

First of all, we need autopsy results. We need to confirm that the physical evidence is consistent with a self-administered death.

All of those in a position to have been responsible for supervising Epstein need to be carefully questioned, and all of those in a position to supervise those who were responsible for direct observation need to answer a lot of questions.

You think he had help.

I think that there is at least a reasonable possibility that someone with the financial means to buy virtually anything that he wanted to buy, in an environment where all kinds of things that one thinks might not be available for sale and purchase are indeed available for sale and purchase, I think under those circumstances, there is a good reason to believe that Jeffrey Epstein did not do what he apparently did without significant assistance.

So what does justice look like now for your clients?

It looks like setting aside the non-prosecution agreements that never should have been entered into in the first place.

It includes a continued prosecution of anyone else involved in Epstein's criminal conduct both in South Florida and in New York and more than likely in New Mexico, in France and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Justice includes compelling former cabinet member [Alexander] Acosta to give a full accounting as to how this non-prosecution agreement ever could have been entered into, because the story that he has told up to this point in time about a lack of evidence is simply false.

It includes requiring the local prosecutor in Palm Beach County to explain the decisions that were made at the local level to allow Jeffrey Epstein to enter a plea to minor charges and to permit him to be sentenced to an extremely lenient penalty when he could have and should have face many years' imprisonment.

It requires an explanation from the Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw about how Jeffrey Epstein was allowed to serve his "time" under such unusual circumstances — open cell doors, a new TV installed, 12 hours of  "work release" ... six days a week, frequent trips to his home, shopping excursions while he's supposed to be in jail. Those kinds of things demand public accountability.

Beyond answers and accountability, we know, of course, Jeffrey Epstein was very wealthy. What are your clients saying about potentially getting a piece of that wealth?

Some of my clients have already prosecuted civil claims against Jeffrey Epstein and have settled those monetary claims on confidential terms. Others have not.

But for all of them, this has never primarily been about money. It has been about vindication. It has been about making sure that power and dollars do not buy the kind of treatment that was afforded to Jeffrey Epstein. And they are still hopeful that ultimately the system will be found to work the way the system was intended to work.

Written by Sheena Goodyear with files from The Associated Press. Produced by Chloe Shantz-Hilkes. Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.