'Kill the Indian first, then the snake': Epstein files reveal ugly racism against India by former Norwegian diplomat

New Delhi: Comments made about Indians by former Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen in an email sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2015 have now come to light. The US Department of Justice has released more than 3 million files related to the world-renowned sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The public release of these files is revealing the dark secrets of many prominent figures that have been hidden for years. Among them is an email from Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen containing highly offensive and racist remarks about Indians. In this email sent to Epstein, Indians are described as worse than snakes.

What was the statement by Rød-Larsen?

According to the documents, Rød-Larsen wrote in an email to Jeffrey Epstein on December 25, 2015, "Have you heard this saying – when you meet an Indian and a snake, kill the Indian first?" This comment was made after Epstein forwarded him an email from an Indian politician. The revelation of this email has sparked outrage on social media. People are calling it disgusting and racist. One user wrote that it is utterly repulsive. Another said that such people hate all Indians.

Who is Terje Rød-Larsen?

Terje Rød-Larsen is a renowned Norwegian diplomat and former president of the International Peace Institute (IPI). He resigned in 2020 due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein. He has also served as a former Special Envoy of the United Nations. He is known for his significant role in the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

What is the Jeffrey Epstein case?

Jeffrey Epstein was a financier notorious for his high-level international connections. The investigation against him began in 2005, when the family of a minor girl alleged that she had been sexually abused at his mansion. In 2006, he was accused of repeatedly engaging in unlawful sexual acts with a minor. The case went to a grand jury, which indicted him on one count of soliciting prostitution.

In 2007, federal prosecutors filed charges against him. In 2008, he was convicted on two counts of "soliciting prostitution" and "soliciting prostitution from a person under 18 years of age" and sentenced to 18 months in prison, but he was released in 2009.  Following this, several victims filed lawsuits against him.

In 2018, a media report brought the case back into the spotlight, and in 2019, he was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges. He died in a New York jail in 2019, in what was ruled a suicide.