Case study Why wasn't Epstein stopped years ago?

Over the course of two decades, Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly appeared on law enforcement's radar for sexual misconduct involving teen girls and young women.

- By Victoria Bekiempis

And he avoided serious punishment for his crimes.The US justice department's recent disclosure of long-secret investigative files has again raised the question of why Epstein wasn't stopped sooner. The issue has been the subject of many conspiracy theories, often focusing on the idea that Epstein - who lived at the centre of a network of powerful people - enjoyed some form of protection.

Some documents recently released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, as well as previously public filings tucked deep into prior civil litigation, spell out numerous missed opportunities to stop Epstein before his 2019 arrest and suicide in prison.

Longtime attorneys told the Guardian that there are multiple reasons why this might have occurred.

"First, law enforcement agencies, especially at the local level, do not communicate well with one another," Neama Rahmani, founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers and a former federal prosecutor, said. "Second, prosecutors are risk averse and do not want to prosecute difficult cases."

Moreover, authorities can see sexual abuse cases as risky propositions in terms of success.

The chronology of Epstein's repeated mentions and investigations could suggest an overall lack of interest regarding complaints against him.