Epstein disclosures raise key question: why wasn’t he stopped earlier?

New documents reveal numerous missed opportunities as experts and victims condemn US authorities' failures

Over the course of two decades, Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly appeared on law enforcement's radar for sexual misconduct involving teen girls and young women. And over this same period of time, Epstein avoided serious and meaningful punishment for his crimes.

The US justice department's recent disclosure of long-secret investigative files related to Epstein has once again raised the question of why he wasn't interdicted sooner, despite numerous reports of misconduct. The issue has been the subject of many conspiracy theories, often focusing on the idea that Epstein - who lived at the center of a network of powerful people - enjoyed some form of protection.