As newly unsealed documents linked to a case against the convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell reveal names of high-profile associates of Jeffrey Epstein, many are quick to reiterate that their place on the long-awaited list does not mean they have done anything illegal. This is absolutely true – and as a court correspondent, it is incredibly important to stress the legal implications, or more accurately lack thereof, of this new information.
With the exception of allegations made under oath by Johanna Sjoberg against Prince Andrew that, if proven, would amount to criminal conduct, most of those named on the list are not accused of any legal wrongdoing. But that doesn’t mean we should not ask questions about the moral, rather than strictly legal, implications of their conduct. I mean this in two senses – both the personal moral implications for those named and the morals we hold as a society, which are laid hideously bare in these documents.
