Jeffrey Epstein's suicide in prison raises suspicions: what could he tell?

• US financier Epstein committed suicide in prison

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The death of Jeffrey Epstein, the US financier accused of sexual abuse and child trafficking and apparently found suicidal in prison yesterday, raises many doubts and many wonder what he could have said if he had remained alive.

The mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, asked himself. "What so many of us would like to know is: what did he know?" said the mayor, according to the BBC. "How many other millionaires and billionaires - he continued - were part of the illegal activities in which he was engaged?"

Well, the mayor continued, "that information did not die with Jeffrey Epstein. They must be investigated." Epstein, 66, pleaded not guilty last month against allegations of prostitution and conspiracy exploitation.

His death occurred after the release of documents that revealed new charges against him, but also against many of the high-profile personalities associated with him.

The Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, where Epstein was held, is considered a very safe facility. But last month there had already been a worrying sign: Epstein had been found in a cell with neck injuries in an apparent suicide attempt and taken to hospital. It is not clear if the financier had been placed in a specific program for people at risk of suicide.

Epstein was arrested on July 6 for allegedly paying girls under the age of 18 to perform sexual acts in his Manhattan and Florida homes between 2002 and 2015. He was also accused of paying potential witnesses. He risked 45 years in prison.

His arrest had immediately made him think of his frequent visits. Epstein had dealings with many high-profile personalities, including US President Donald Trump, former president Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew of Great Britain. However, Trump said last month that he had not been in a relationship for fifteen years and was not "a fan of Jeffrey Epstein"