Ghislaine Maxwell's family have said they are 'scared' for her safety after Jeffrey Epstein's French modelling agent friend Jean-Luc Brunel, who allegedly procured more than a thousand women and girls for the paedophile financier to sleep with, died today in an alleged prison suicide.

Prosecutors in Paris confirmed Brunel, who is not believed to have been on suicide watch, was found hanging in his cell in La Santé, in the south of the capital city, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

It comes days after Prince Andrew, 62, agreed to settle Virginia Roberts's lawsuit accusing him of sex abuse after they met allegedly through Epstein and Maxwell. In the settlement, there was no admission of liability by Andrew, who has always denied the specific allegations.

Roberts accused Brunel, 76, of procuring more than a thousand women and girls for Epstein to sleep with and he was awaiting trial in France for raping minors.

Following Brunel's death, Maxwell's family described the news as 'shocking' and said they are scared for Maxwell's safety at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she is currently being held.

Speaking from his home in London, Maxwell's brother Ian told the New York Post: 'Another death by hanging in a high-security prison. My reaction is one of total shock and bewilderment.'

Mr Maxwell claimed that despite her psychiatrist advising 'to the contrary', his sister was 'deemed a suicide risk' and said she is woken up every 15 minutes in the night. He described it as 'complete violation of prisoner rights and human rights', insisting that Maxwell is not suicidal.

In December of last year, Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking minors, giving way to federal prosecutors to bring her to justice for her involvement in helping Epstein with luring underage girls before he would sexually assault them.

Her team of four lawyers requested a federal judge to grant her a new trial, saying questions asked to a juror about sexual abuse violated Maxwell's right to a fair trial, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Brunel's death in an alleged hanging will fuel conspiracy theories around the Epstein affair after the financier also died in prison while awaiting trial in what authorities concluded was a hanging.

Controversy over Epstein's death has been fueled by the fact that prison video cameras at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correction Center were not running at the time Epstein died in the cell he shared with another inmate.

Brunel is thought to have been alone at the time of his death and there were no cameras to record his final hours, according to an investigating source at La Santé – one of the toughest jails in France.

'A night patrol found his lifeless body at about 1am,' said an investigating source. 'A judicial enquiry has been launched, and early evidence points to suicide.'

Prosecutors in Paris confirmed that Jean-Luc Brunel (pictured), 76, was found hanging in his cell in La Santé, in the south of the capital city, in the early hours of Saturday morning

His death in an alleged hanging will fuel conspiracy theories around the Epstein affair after he also died in prison while awaiting trial in what authorities say was a hanging. Pictured, Brunel with Maxwell and Epstein on a private jet 

Following Brunel's death, Maxwell's family described the news as 'shocking' and said they are scared for Maxwell's (pictured in a courtroom sketch) safety at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she is currently being held

Taking to Twitter following the news of his death on Saturday, she wrote: 'The suicide of Jean-Luc Brunel, who abused me and countless girls and young women, ends another chapter.

'I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to face him in a final trial to hold him accountable, but gratified that I was able to testify in person last year to keep him in prison.'

It was in December 2020 that Brunel was indicted after two days of interviews by an examining magistrate and specialist police from an anti-paedophilia unit.

He was arrested at the city's Charles de Gaulle airport on while trying to board a plane to Dakar, Senegal, telling detectives 'I'm going on holiday'.

While CCTV is commonplace in the corridors and gateways of French prisons, the vast majority of cells are not under video surveillance. This is ensure a degree of privacy, and to make sure that European human rights legislation is not violated.

Inmates are sometimes known to record events using devices including mobile phones, but Brunel is thought to have been in a single occupancy cell, said the source.

'There is an investigation going on to confirm all this, but at the moment it looks like he killed himself alone, and it was a routine patrol that found his body hanging,' he said.

The source added: 'There were no obvious fears for the prisoner's health, and he was not on a suicide watch, having already been in prison for many months.'

The official enquiry into Brunel's sudden death was on Saturday being carried out by offices from the 3rd Judicial Police district in Paris. An autopsy was set to be carried out, to establish the exact cause of death.

Forensic officers were meanwhile examining the cell where Brunel died. La Santé, which was built in the 19th Century, has housed some of the most dangerous prisoners in recent French history.

There is a so-called 'VIP section' where inmates include 'super terrorist' and mass killer Carlos the Jackal, whose real name is Ilich Ramírez Sánchez.

Brunel was originally indicted and placed in pre-trial detention in December 2020 for the 'rape of a minor over 15 years old' and harassing two other women.

He was also suspected of being a 'pimp' for Epstein, after becoming a close friend of the billionaire financier.

Brunel had been placed under the intermediate status of assisted witness for acts of 'human trafficking' and 'exploiting minors for the sexual purposes.'

Brunel committed suicide because he was 'crushed' by the allegations against him, his defence lawyers said in a joint statement.

'His distress was that of a 75-year-old man crushed by a media-judicial system which it should be time to question,' said Mathias Chichportich, Marianne Abgrall and Christophe Ingrain.

'Jean-Luc Brunel has continued to proclaim his innocence. He multiplied his efforts to prove it. His decision [to end his life] was not driven by guilt, but by a deep sense of injustice.'

Others involved in the ring include Epstein's ex-girlfriend, the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, who is currently in prison in the USA after being found guilty of sex trafficking. Pictured, Brunel with Manwell on Epstein's private island

A French judicial enquiry into Brunel's conduct was opened in August 2019, when prosecutors heard allegations that Brunel and the Queen's second son shared a lover. Pictured, Brunel with models he scouted

Brunel is pictured with models who worked for his agency. The model scout's name appears frequently in the flight logs kept for Epstein's private jets and prison records show he visited Epstein 67 times when he was in jail

A Dutch model, Thysia Huisman, who was 18 when she first stayed with Brunel, said she was raped by him in 1991.

She is now one of at least four alleged victims represented by Anne-Claire Le Jeune, a Paris barrister, who said Brunel being in custody was a huge relief, because their complaints now 'take on meaning,' she said.

After news of Brunel's death broke Ms Huidman said she felt disappointed by the 'completely different ending without any real justice for his victims.

Brunel was suspected of having been part of a global underage sex ring organised by the late American multi-billionaire Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019, while awaiting trial for numerous sex crimes.

Others involved in the ring include Epstein's ex-girlfriend, the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, who is currently in prison in the USA after being found guilty of sex trafficking.

A French judicial enquiry into Brunel's conduct was opened in August 2019, when prosecutors heard allegations that Brunel and the Queen's second son Prince Andrew shared a lover.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an American, has told lawyers she was employed as a 'sex slave' when she was forced to sleep with the Duke of York after being trafficked to him at least three times when she was 17.

Almost all of the accusations leveled against Brunel were from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, meaning they fell outside the 20-year limit for prosecuting sex crimes in France.

This meant that Brunel was considered 'untouchable' by police who nicknamed him 'The Ghost' as he carried on living and working in the French capital, while frequently traveling abroad on scouting assignments and holidays.

But in November 2020, Giuffre responded to an online English language appeal by French magistrates for alleged victims to come forward.

Ms Roberts Giuffre said she had 'sexual relations with Brunel on several occasions', between the ages of 16 and 19, according to legal papers filed in America and France.

'Ms Giuffre now lives in Australia but responded to the appeal,' said an investigating source. 'She was interviewed remotely, and provided considerable evidence against Brunel.

'She said that she was raped by Brunel in the early 2000s, including in 2001. This was a considerable breakthrough for the enquiry.'

It meant that the alleged crime was well within the statute of limitations, and therefore prosecutable.

Officers were set to arrest Brunel in January 2020 following further enquiries, but on December 16 he was intercepted at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris with a one-way ticket to Dakar, capital of Senegal, in West Africa.

'This led to his immediate arrest and he was placed in custody,' said the source. 'The multiple rape charges solely relate to the testimony of Virginia Giuffre, and not any of the other alleged rape victims.

'The sexual harassment indictment is nothing to do with the Epstein case, and instead relates to incidents in 2016 following a complaint by another woman who has not gone public.'

The 'multiple rapes' of Giuffre – now a mother of three who was called Virginia Roberts before her marriage – were said to have mainly taken place at Epstein's home on the private island of Little Saint James, in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Giuffre had produced sworn testimonies saying that both Brunel and Prince Andrew attacked her there.

According to French law, a French citizen such as Brunel can be tried in France for offences committed abroad.

Both Prince Andrew and Brunel vehemently denied these claims, with the Prince considered a key witness who both the Americans and the French wanted to interview in person.

Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself inside his New York City jail cell in August 2019. Pictured, Epstein's cell after his body was found by prison guards

Despite vowing to fight the allegations and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince has agreed to pay a large sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.

Reports suggested the Queen herself will provide money to pay for the settlement, according to the Telegraph.

The paper reported the total amount that the victim and her charity will receive will actually exceed £12m, with the funds coming from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by £1.5m to more than £23m.

Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Miss Roberts was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls.

'He has never met Brunel. No ifs, no buts,' a source close to Andrew told the Royal Observer.

The rape of a minor is punishable by up to 15 years in prison in France, while aggravated sexual harassment comes with a three-year prison sentence and a fine equivalent to around £40,000.

Giuffre said Epstein told her he had slept with 'over a thousand women that Brunel brought in', in an NBC Dateline special that aired in 2019.

Brunel, who denied any wrongdoing, was being held in custody until a criminal trial on a date to be fixed.

In 2015, Brunel denied involvement 'directly or indirectly' in any of Epstein's offences in a statement issued in 2015. It said: 'I strongly deny having committed any illicit act or any wrongdoing in the course of my work.'

Brunel was also suspected of using his contacts in the fashion industry to provide victims to Epstein and his friends.

He is said to have flown three 12-year-old sisters from a Paris housing estate to America so they could be abused by Epstein as 'a birthday present'.

Pictured: Prince Andrew, Virginia and Ghislaine Maxwell at Maxwell's London flat

Virginia Giuffre, 37, (pictured) is now the key witness in the prosecution of Brunel, 75, after claiming that both him and Prince Andrew, 60, used her as their 'sex slave'

Epstein – an old friend of Andrew's and a business associate of Brunel's – committed suicide in his prison cell in New York on August 10 2019, while awaiting trial for a range of offences, including trafficking minors for sex, and multiple rapes

Brunel was the founder of MC2, the model agency that prosecutors believe was used as a cover for the sex trafficking ring. The out-of-time evidence against Brunel comes from a number of former models, who – like Giuffre – have waived their anonymity to make their allegations public

It was in December 2020 that Brunel was indicted after two days of interviews by an examining magistrate and specialist police from an anti-paedophilia unit. Pictured, the prison where Brunel was found dead 

Epstein – an old friend and business of associate of Brunel's – committed suicide in his prison cell in New York on August 10 2019, while awaiting trial for a range of offences, including trafficking minors for sex, and multiple rapes.

Among his alleged victims, it is claimed in court documents, were the 12-year-old triplets from Paris.

Brunel was the founder of MC2, the model agency – one that prosecutors believe was used as as a cover for Epstein's sex trafficking ring.

Brunel started his career as a model scout, and has worked with celebrities including Jerry Hall, Sharon Stone, and Monica Bellucci.

Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt, Mr Brunel's lawyer, has insisted her client is innocent of any wrongdoing.

Evidence against Brunel came from a number of former models, who had waived their anonymity to make their allegations public.

New Zealander Zoe Brock has claimed in statements made to French investigators that she was abused in his Paris home in the early 1990s.

The hellhole prison where Epstein's pimp Jean-Luc Brunel 'hanged himself': Infamous 19th century Le Sante jail houses some of France's most dangerous criminals and has so-called 'VIP wing' where inmates include Carlos the Jackal

By Peter Allen and Emer Scully for MailOnline

The hellhole prison where Jeffrey Epstein's pimp 'hanged himself' is one of the toughest jails in France and boasts a so-called 'VIP section' where 'super terrorist' Carlos the Jackal is housed.

Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, was imprisoned in the infamous La Santé in Paris after his arrest at the city's Charles de Gaulle airport while he was trying to board a plane to Dakar, Senegal, telling detectives 'I'm going on holiday' in December 2020.

Brunel is thought to have been in a single occupancy cell at the time of his death inside the 19th Century prison. 'There is an investigation going on to confirm all this, but at the moment it looks like he killed himself alone, and it was a routine patrol that found his body hanging,' a source said.

They added: 'There were no obvious fears for the prisoner's health, and he was not on a suicide watch, having already been in prison for many months.'

The hellhole prison was inaugurated in 1867 with 500 cells, expanding to 1,000 to eventually house up to 2,000 convicts within the jail's walls.

Before the banning of public executions in 1939, deaths by guillotine were regularly held outside its walls. The last execution – by guillotine – took place in 1972.

In modern days there is a so-called 'VIP section' where inmates include 'super terrorist' and mass killer Carlos the Jackal, whose real name is Ilich Ramírez Sánchez.

The 72-year-old Venezuelan was convicted of terrorist crimes, and is serving a life sentence for the 1975 murder of an informant for the French government and two French counterintelligence agents.

Jean-Luc Brunel is thought to have been alone at the time of his death and there were no cameras to record his final hours, according to an investigating source at La Santé in Paris. Pictured, the prison's corridor

Brunel (pictured) is thought to have been in a single occupancy cell at the time of his death inside the 19th Century prison. 'There is an investigation going on to confirm all this, but at the moment it looks like he killed himself alone, and it was a routine patrol that found his body hanging,' he said

The prison is split into two levels, an upper and lower, with prisoners racially segregated until 2000. There used to be a block for 'Western Europe', 'Black Africa', 'North Africa', and 'The Rest of the World'

Other infamous inmates include the businessman Bernard Tapie, rogue financier Jérôme Kerviel, Manuel Noriega and the gangster Jacques Mesrine.

Mesrine, a French bank robber and kidnapper nicknamed 'the man of a thousand faces' and declared 'public enemy number one', climbed over the prison's walls and went on the run in 1978.

The most daring escape from the prison was performed by Michel Vaujour in 1986, when his wife, Nadine, piloted a helicopter into the courtyard to snatch him up. A few months later he was shot down and crippled in a vengeful stand-off.

During the Second World War the Germans executed French Resistance fighters at the prison. Eighteen were either guillotined or shot by firing squad before the occupation ended with a riot during which 28 prisoners were shot on the orders of the German régime.

The prison is split into two levels, an upper and lower, with prisoners racially segregated until 2000. There used to be a block for 'Western Europe', 'Black Africa', 'North Africa', and 'The Rest of the World'.

The maximum-security cells have been described as boxes where you can almost stretch your arms and touch both walls at the same time.

In 2000, Véronique Vasseur, La Santé’s chief medical officer, published a book, Médecin-chef à la prison de la Santé, to reveal what life inside the prison's walls was really like.

She claimed the prison was infested with rats and cockroaches, with suicidal prisoners left in chains.

Severe wounds including trench foot and other skin infections raged and the place was known as a 'city within a city' with its own rules and a morality governed by violence.

In 2014, the prison closed for four years for renovations.

The official enquiry into Brunel's sudden death was on Saturday being carried out by offices from the 3rd Judicial Police district in Paris. An autopsy was set to be carried out, to establish the exact cause of death.

Forensic officers were meanwhile examining the cell where Brunel died in La Santé. While CCTV is commonplace in the corridors and gateways of French prisons, the vast majority of cells are not under video surveillance.

The prison was inaugurated in 1867 with 500 cells, expanding to 1,000 to eventually house up to 2,000 convicts within the jail's walls

French bank robber and kidnapper Jacques Mesrine, nicknamed 'the man of a thousand faces' and declared 'public enemy number one', in the high-security quarters of Sante Prison, from which he managed to escape

Brunel was originally indicted and placed in pre-trial detention in December 2020 for the 'rape of a minor over 15 years old' and harassing two other women.

He was also suspected of being a 'pimp' for Epstein, after becoming a close friend of the billionaire financier.

Brunel had been placed under the intermediate status of assisted witness for acts of 'human trafficking' and 'exploiting minors for the sexual purposes.'

His death in an alleged hanging will fuel conspiracy theories around the Epstein affair after the financier also died in prison while awaiting trial in what authorities concluded was a hanging.

Controversy over Epstein's death has been fueled by the fact that prison video cameras at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correction Center were not running at the time Epstein died in the cell he shared with another inmate.

Prosecutors in Paris confirmed Brunel, who is not believed to have been on suicide watch, was found hanging in his cell in La Santé, in the south of the capital city, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Brunel is thought to have been alone at the time of his death and there were no cameras to record his final hours, according to an investigating source at La Santé – one of the toughest jails in France.

'A night patrol found his lifeless body at about 1am,' said an investigating source. 'A judicial enquiry has been launched, and early evidence points to suicide.'

It was in December 2020 that Brunel was indicted after two days of interviews by an examining magistrate and specialist police from an anti-paedophilia unit.

Prince Andrew marks quietest birthday in modern royal history as he faces fresh controversy after Jeffrey Epstein's 'pimp' Jean-Luc Brunel dies in prison 'suicide' a week after settling Virginia Roberts' sex claim for £12m

By William Cole and Laurence Dollimore For Mailonline

Prince Andrew marked the quietest royal birthday in modern history on Saturday as he looks to lay low after settling his sex abuse case with Virginia Roberts.

The muted celebration of his 62nd birthday came just hours after the death of Jeffrey Epstein's 'pimp', who was accused of trafficking hundreds of girls to the paedophile financier.

French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, who allegedly procured more than a thousand women and girls for Epstein to sleep with, was found hanged in his prison cell in an alleged suicide on Saturday morning.

The death risks causing fresh embarrassment for the Duke of York as he attempts to draw a line under the scandal.

It comes as there was no tolling of the bells or hoisting of flags to celebrate the Queen's son's birthday - both of which were scrapped by Westminster Abbey and the Government respectively.

The Duke will mark the day privately at Royal Lodge, reports the Telegraph, following his out-of-court settlement with Ms Roberts, estimated to be in the region of £12million.

Pictures taken today showed flowers and cards destined for Andrew being collected from the gatehouse at Royal Lodge and being placed into the back of a Range Rover.

The death of Jeffrey Epstein's 'pimp' - on Prince Andrew's birthday - will cause fresh embarrassment for the Duke (pictured) as he attempts to draw a line under the scandal

The muted celebration of his 62nd birthday came just hours after the death of Jeffrey Epstein 's 'pimp', who was accused of trafficking hundreds of girls to the paedophile financier. (Pictured: Flowers and cards are collected from the gatehouse at Royal Lodge for Prince Andrew)

There was no tolling of the bells or hoisting of flags to celebrate the Queen's son's birthday - both of which were scrapped by Westminster Abbey and the Government respectively. (Pictured: Gifts for Andrew being collected at Royal Lodge today)

Following Andrew's scandal and in consultation with Buckingham Palace, the Queen and Prince of Wales are now the only members of the Royal Family who will have their birthdays marked by official flags and bells.

A spokeswoman for Westminster Abbey said: 'Due to the financial challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Westminster Abbey will ring its bells only for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales.'

In 2020, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it was 'no longer a requirement' for them to fly the flag in Andrew's honour.

However February 19 remained on its 'designated days' list before being discreetly removed on February 11 this year.

A government spokeswoman said: 'Since 2021 the default position in Great Britain is that the Union Flag flies all year round unless another flag is being flown.

'However we routinely review the list of designated days for flying the Union Flag on UK Government Buildings.

'These changes make the days consistent with other commemorative events, such as gun salutes.'

A source told the Telegraph Andrew will be spending today 'quietly at home'.

His birthday fell on the same day that Brunel, Epstein's alleged 'pimp', was reportedly found hanged in his cell in France.

Brunel had been facing preliminary charges of raping girls between 15 and 18 years old.

Among those who spoke out against him was Epstein victim Virginia Roberts, who said that she had had sex with Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19, while she said she was being trafficked by Epstein.

Ms Roberts has also said that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions starting when she was 17.

French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, who allegedly procured more than a thousand women and girls for paedophile financier Epstein to sleep with, was found hanged in his prison cell today in an alleged suicide

It comes just days after the Duke of York agreed a significant out-of-court settlement with Ms Roberts, which could reportedly end up costing £12 million.

It was believed that a settlement between Andrew and Ms Roberts ahead of a jury trial in their civil case would end the prospect of embarrassing the royal family during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year celebrations.

However, the settlement has raised serious questions over whether the Queen is helping Andrew to fund the agreement.

And now Brunel's suicide is likely to pile further controversy onto the Duke.

It was reported in 2020 that French investigators could consider questioning Prince Andrew about his links with Brunel, who had shared Epstein as a mutual acquaintance.

Rémy Heitz, the Paris prosecutor, said that Mr Brunel was 'suspected of having organised the transport and lodging of girls or young women on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein', and were seeking to establish the nature of his alleged activities on behalf of Epstein who killed himself in a New York prison the year before.

Brunel had denied all allegations against him.

The French inquiry had also conducted a video interview Ms Roberts, a victim of Epstein, according to The Times.

She said in court papers that Brunel had offered modelling jobs to girls as young as 12 and took them to the United States to 'farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein'.

Ms Roberts alleged that she had had sex with Brunel several times, and that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, which Andrew denied.

Brunel was then arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris with a one-way ticket to Dakar, capital of Senegal, in West Africa.

Following the arrest, Ms Roberts taunted Prince Andrew on social media. 'Are you sweating yet, Prince Andrew?' she wrote.

'You should be. Your buddy Jean-Luc Brunel is behind bars. Remember those girls he supplied to you on the island?'

According to French law, a French citizen such as Brunel can be tried in France for offences committed abroad.

The French investigation however suffered obstacles because of a statute of limitations that covers rape prosecutions that are 20 years old or 30 years old in the case of minors.

Both Prince Andrew and Brunel vehemently denied the claims, with a source close to Andrew telling the Royal Observer: 'He has never met Brunel. No ifs, no buts.'

Despite vowing to fight Ms Roberts' allegations directed against him in the civil case filed in New York - and repeatedly protesting his innocence - Andrew last week agreed to pay a large sum to settle the case before it reaches a jury.

The Telegraph reported the total amount that the victim and her charity will receive will actually exceed £12m, with the funds coming from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by £1.5m to more than £23m.

It was believed that a settlement between Andrew and Ms Giuffre ahead of a jury trial in their civil case would end the prospect of embarrassing the royal family during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year celebrations. However, the settlement has raised serious questions over whether the Queen is helping Andrew to fund the agreement

Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Ms Roberts was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls.

A statement announcing the settlement read: 'Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement.

'The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights.

'Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years.

'Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.'