Amid the ongoing reverberations of the Jeffrey Epstein case—the American financier accused of leading a vast sex trafficking scheme and of committing sexual violence against girls and women—we have been observing how similar structures and allegations emerge in Brazil. It was against this backdrop that I carefully read two recent reports regarding the implications of Banco Master and the alleged organization of orgies attended by politicians, members of the judiciary, business executives, and guests of the banker involved.
According to reporting by journalist Mara Luquet of the MyNews channel, investigations have reportedly uncovered evidence of such gatherings, and a confidential report would indicate a ratio of four women for every politician present. The women were said to be predominantly Swiss, Norwegian, Swedish, and Dutch. One reason for this selection, according to the report, was that these women did not speak Portuguese and therefore would neither understand what was being arranged nor recognize the identities of the authorities present.
Journalist Guilherme Amado, writing for the portal PlatôBR, further revealed the criterion reportedly adopted by the Federal Police in handling the seized material. According to the report, based on statements from investigators, “simple participation in orgies does not constitute a crime and, in isolation, is not subject to criminal prosecution.” The matter would acquire legal relevance only if connected to other facts under investigation, such as corruption, undue advantages, or influence peddling benefiting the bank.
While it must be emphasized that the information disclosed so far remains preliminary and awaits official confirmation, the approach appears incomplete. There has been no mention of investigations into potential crimes such as human trafficking, the facilitation of prostitution, pimping, or other forms of sexual exploitation—as if the women involved did not themselves warrant an independent line of inquiry. To determine whether a crime occurred in bringing them to Brazil, one must investigate.
As the investigators themselves correctly noted to the press, participating in an orgy is not, in itself, a crime. Yet an important qualification must be added: it is not a crime only insofar as all individuals involved are present by free and informed consent, under conditions of genuine autonomy. In this regard, it is necessary to reflect on the concrete circumstances in which these women were placed. When women are mobilized to travel to a country not their own, to meet men they do not know and with whom they do not even share a common language, it is reasonable to question whether we may be facing an organized international network of prostitution.
This implication is significant because, if the technical criterion indeed defines the scope of criminal interest—as has been claimed—it must be remembered that human trafficking for sexual exploitation, pimping, and the facilitation of prostitution are crimes under Brazilian law and under international treaties to which Brazil is a signatory.
From the standpoint of the men involved, it seems evident that it matters greatly to determine who participated in the group sexual encounters allegedly promoted by the banker. After all, how can one presume good faith or “isolate” participation in an orgy when there are indications that these gatherings were embedded within a broader dynamic of influence, circulation of power, and corruption of the public interest?
Regarding the women, the questions are numerous: who are they? Are they all adults? Where did they come from, and how were they approached and assembled? Who intermediated their presence? Were there mechanisms of debt coercion, retention of documents, or other forms of economic violence involved in the operation? At the international level, will the authorities in the countries of origin be formally notified so that they, too, may investigate the facts?
This week, a report in Folha de S.Paulo, written by Alexa Salomão and Joana Cunha, revealed that the Public Prosecutor’s Office and Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts have requested the opening of an investigation to identify federal authorities involved. According to the reported request, the Public Prosecutor refers to a report published by the digital magazine Liberta concerning parties held at a mansion in Trancoso, on the southern coast of Bahia, which were allegedly recorded by the financier. This is yet another warning: in the Epstein case, recordings of such encounters were cited in investigations and court proceedings as potential instruments of pressure over powerful men.
Although the initiative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office represents an important step forward, the preliminary information suggests that the focus remains primarily on identifying the men and their possible exchanges of influence. Yet if women were transported, intermediated, and remunerated collectively, there are questions that cannot be treated as secondary. It is the duty of institutions to answer them.
