Norwegian diplomat’s ‘Indian and snake’ comment in Epstein email triggers backlash

Among the files is an email purportedly sent by Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen to Jeffrey Epstein in December 2015.

The email appears to show Rød-Larsen responding to a message forwarded by Epstein from an Indian politician, using a racially offensive remark about Indians.

The document has circulated widely on social media since its release, drawing sharp criticism and condemnation from users who described the remark as racist and unacceptable.

Rød-Larsen, a former Norwegian diplomat and United Nations envoy, served as president of the International Peace Institute before resigning in 2020 after his links to Epstein became public.

The files were released as part of the Justice Department’s continued disclosure of material connected to Epstein, the disgraced financier who maintained close ties with influential political, business and academic figures across the world.

Epstein first came under investigation in 2005 after allegations that he had sexually abused a minor at his Florida residence.

In 2008, he pleaded guilty to charges related to soliciting prostitution, including from a minor, and served a jail sentence. Over the following years, several victims came forward with civil lawsuits.

In 2019, Epstein was arrested again on federal sex trafficking charges. He was found dead later that year in a federal jail in New York, in what authorities ruled a suicide.

The latest disclosures have renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s network and the individuals associated with him, with the newly surfaced email drawing particular attention for its offensive content.