Barcelona is once again in the spotlight following the release of archives linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case. For Spain, this is more than just another international scandal—it concerns the reputation of one of the country’s most famous cities and the safety of vulnerable groups. The new revelations highlight how deeply rooted the issue of women’s exploitation is, casting doubt on the effectiveness of past and current measures to combat it.
According to documents detailing Epstein’s activities, Barcelona became a European hub for recruiting young women between 2011 and 2018. During this period, the city was used as a launchpad for seeking out and attracting women, mainly from disadvantaged backgrounds. Young women were persuaded to work for so-called ‘modeling agencies,’ which in reality often meant being drawn into exploitation networks. In correspondence made public, Barcelona is described as a safer location for such operations compared to Paris, thanks to its large influx of tourists and relative anonymity.
Recruitment scheme
The documents mention Daniel Siad, a Franco-Algerian intermediary who lived in Barcelona and coordinated the ‘selection’ of young women. After the initial contact in the Catalan capital, the women were taken to Paris, where they were met by another member of the network, Jean Luc Brunel, who was arrested in 2020. The entire chain was designed to minimize risks for the organizers and to exploit the victims’ vulnerability to the maximum.
Particular attention in the correspondence was paid to the age of the girls. In one letter, Epstein rejected the candidacy of a 25-year-old woman, calling her ‘too old.’ The intermediaries’ operations were not limited to Spain; other cities mentioned in the search included Marrakech, Kyiv, Stockholm, and Havana. However, Barcelona remained the key hub for the European side of the scheme.
Reaction and inaction
Despite numerous protests and demands from feminist and human rights organizations, the situation in Barcelona has hardly changed. The city authorities, including previous administrations, failed to provide effective solutions. Debates about legalizing prostitution and recognizing it as ‘work’ only fueled arguments without bringing real change for the most vulnerable women—migrants and those in difficult life situations.
The exploitation of women in Barcelona is not a new issue. The city has long been discussed on forums where men seek ‘entertainment’ and remains one of the most popular destinations for sex tourism in Europe. Nevertheless, real steps to protect victims and shut down such networks remain rare and largely ineffective.
Context and consequences
The surge of interest following the publication of the Epstein archives has once again exposed systemic problems. Despite its open and progressive reputation, Barcelona has proven vulnerable to international criminal networks. How the city will respond to these new challenges remains an open question. For now, Barcelona continues to draw attention not only from tourists, but also from those seeking easy gain at the expense of others’ vulnerability.
In recent years, Europe has faced several high-profile cases involving the exploitation of women and international recruitment networks. Scandals in Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam have shown that this problem is transnational and requires comprehensive solutions. In Spain, the need to tighten control over modeling agencies and tourist services has also been raised more than once. However, despite some police successes, most of these schemes remain hidden, leaving victims defenseless.
