Prague as a hub? What the Epstein files reveal about Czech connections
The released Epstein files have exploded like a bombshell in many countries where police and journalists are now tracing links to high-profile figures and potential victims of the sex-abuse network. One of the Czech journalists looking into the extensive Epstein files to try to piece together the story of Czech involvement is Lukas Houdek, from Heroine magazine.
“My friend is planning to fly to New York next week, so I was thinking I’d love to take her to that swingers party you told us about. As a surprise. She’s smart, ambitious, fun, really crazy, and also beautiful. Slim, tall, with long blonde hair. She’s from Lithuania. I’m sending you a photo of the two of us, and in other emails I’m sending photos from Veronika’s birthday and of us having fun. I hope we’ll see each other again soon,”
says one of the emails to Jeffrey Epstein from a Czech girl called Zlata.
How many girls from this country were drawn into the sex-abuse network? Did Prague serve as a hub for the organizers and what are the chances of this affair exploding on the Czech political scene as it has in others? I spoke to journalist Lukas Houdek about what he was so far managed to ascertain from the Epstein files.
Lukáš, the police have started investigating Czech links to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Many states have already opened inquiries into local connections. The Czech Republic has been fairly late in taking action. Does that suggest there are no significant links to this country?
"I would say that, after going through about 2,000 documents connected to the Czech Republic and Prague, there could definitely have been significant collaborators of Jeffrey Epstein operating through this country. There are references to young women being flown from the Czech Republic to Paris, and I believe from Paris onward to the United States."
"Given that these were young women, it is unlikely that they simply decided to travel on their own. There had to be someone organizing this locally. The key question is who that was, and that is something we do not yet know."
The files connect Epstein to high-profile figures internationally, including members of European royalty and business elites. Is there any indication of such links in the Czech Republic, or are the Czech references primarily tied to women in his network? Are we talking about potential victims?
"I did not find any connection to Czech politicians or well-known public figures. The Czech references I encountered primarily concern young women who were potentially abused."
"I did find one man who was active in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other Central and Eastern European countries. He appeared to be identifying young women and informing Epstein about them. However, what his exact role was remains unclear."
You saw some of the emails between the young women and Epstein. Do they indicate the involvement of underage girls?
"No, the emails I have seen refer to young women around 20 years old. However, there are clear indications of abuse, particularly psychological abuse and manipulation, which I found very alarming."
"In particular, I followed the story of two Czech women who were in frequent contact with Epstein. One of them appeared to be something like his girlfriend. The emails, especially with the second woman, show signs of psychological abuse and manipulation that took place in the United States."
We have heard that many of these girls, especially from Eastern Europe, did not speak English when they were taken abroad, which made them particularly vulnerable. Is there any indication of this?
"I have not found specific evidence regarding whether they spoke English. Most of the emails about bringing young women from Eastern Europe to Paris focused on logistics—organizing tickets, travel times, sending photographs, and providing information about their age and physical appearance."
"At this stage, we do not know whether language barriers played a role, but further investigation by Czech and Slovak journalists may reveal more. We are still at the beginning of this process."
Do you have any idea how many girls from the Czech Republic may have been involved?
"I do not have an exact number for the Czech Republic. I have seen references to a few cases. However, more broadly, I found dozens of travel tickets connected to Prague or routed through Prague from other Eastern locations."
"This suggests that Prague may have been an important transit point, but the precise number of Czech women involved remains unclear."
There is also a Czechoslovak link to Ghislaine Maxwell, a close associate of Epstein who is serving a 20-year sentence in the United States. Her father was of Czechoslovak origin. Could the Czech Republic have served as a base for recruiting women from Eastern Europe?
"It is possible. We know that Epstein attempted to purchase property in Prague in the past, and he flew to Prague several times. He was clearly familiar with the city."
"According to FBI reports and victim testimonies I have reviewed, some victims—although not specifically Czech—mentioned the Czech Republic and Turkey as key locations from which women were transported to the United States. Investigators also questioned Epstein’s private pilot specifically about flights involving Prague and Turkey. This suggests that Prague could have served as one of the hubs."
Other files mention Ronald Eppinger, a convicted US trafficker who recruited young women from Eastern Europe. Was he one of the people active in organizing this in the Czech Republic?
"I investigated this and did not find any indication that he was organizing activities in the Czech Republic. From the emails, it appeared that Epstein did not personally know him well."
"It seems Epstein became interested in him only after receiving a request for help from one of Eppinger’s victims. The emails do not suggest close cooperation. Interestingly, Eppinger himself appeared very interested in Epstein, asking who he was and what the consequences of his death were. But there is no evidence that he was organizing operations here."
From what you saw, do we have any idea who organized this network in the Czech Republic? Could Czechs have been involved in organizing it locally?
"At this moment, we do not know who organized the recruitment locally, but it is clear that someone must have been identifying or casting these young women."
"There is one individual—a young musician from New York—who was in frequent contact with Epstein. He regularly sent him photographs and information about young women and travelled often to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. The question is whether he was merely sharing information out of personal interest or whether he was actively involved in recruitment. However, I do not believe he was the main organizer. There must have been someone else."
Who were the victims? Are we talking about students, models, aspiring actresses?
"We have to consider the context of the 1990s and early 2000s in Central and Eastern Europe. In countries such as Ukraine, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, it was often difficult for young women from poor families to fulfil their ambitions."
"When someone approached them promising a great career, telling them they were talented and could succeed internationally, that could be very persuasive. Often they were first taken to Paris, where the agency of Jean-Luc Brunel—an associate of Epstein—was based. There are photographs showing Brunel traveling with Epstein and Maxwell to Prague at least once. From Paris, the women were then taken to the United States."
The emails suggest that some of these women returned repeatedly. Is it possible they knew what was happening, what they were getting into, and still cooperated to some extent?
"Over time, some may have understood what they were getting into. However, for a young woman without financial resources, it can be extremely difficult to escape such a powerful and wealthy network."
"In some cases, victims later began introducing other girls to Epstein and became part of the network themselves. It is a complex dynamic. When you are dealing with someone extremely powerful and wealthy, saying “no” can feel impossible. Fear, combined with Epstein’s charisma, created a kind of trap that kept many women within the network."
The scandal has shaken the political scene in several countries. Do you see signs that this could happen in the Czech Republic?
"So far, there are no indications of a political scandal in the Czech Republic. In Slovakia, however, there was a case involving a UN ambassador who was connected to Epstein and had to resign. Nothing similar has emerged here at this point."
"However, I see a serious risk in the public exposure of these young women. People can now access the emails and publish names on social media without understanding the context. We do not know what happened to these women or why they appear in the files. If they were victims, such exposure could re-traumatize them and cause significant harm."
