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Polish authorities set up a special investigative unit to look into claims that minors were recruited for sexual exploitation connected to Jeffrey Epstein.
The move followed the January release of a massive set of US documents related to Epstein, which Polish officials said may reveal links to the country.
The National Prosecutor’s Office said the newly formed unit, called Investigation Team No. 5, would conduct preliminary inquiries into what it described as an international criminal group active between 2005 and 2018.
Prosecutors alleged that Polish citizens were involved in the group, which recruited minors through false promises of careers in modeling before exploiting them sexually.
Three senior prosecutors were assigned to lead the preliminary investigation. Authorities said a decision to open a full criminal case would depend on evidence gathered during this stage.
Separately, the Justice Ministry created an analytical task force led by Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek to review the newly released documents and determine any Polish connection.
Zurek said the government had a duty to conduct a thorough and impartial examination, checking whether crimes occurred in Poland or involved Polish citizens. The task force includes representatives from several ministries, police, and security services and will request access to classified US materials.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk previously said the investigation would also explore potential ties between Epstein and Russian intelligence. Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial in the United States on federal sex trafficking charges.
