Dutch model Yfke Sturm has said her past contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was a “serious error of judgement”, after her name appeared repeatedly in recently released court documents linked to him.

In a written statement to television celebrity show RTL Boulevard, Sturm, 44, said her thoughts were first and foremost with the women and girls who were abused by Epstein and others. She said nothing in her statement was intended to downplay the seriousness of the crimes or their lasting impact on survivors.

“With the knowledge I have now, I see that my earlier involvement was a serious misjudgement,” she said. “At the time I was naïve and did not have a full picture of who Epstein really was or the harm he caused. I deeply regret that.”

Dutch showbiz programmes Shownieuws and Hart van Nederland reported on Sunday evening that Sturm’s name appears in hundreds of documents from the  Epstein files which were released on Friday. Some of the material reportedly includes highly explicit private messages. Others detail their plans to spend New Year together.

“Throughout my life and career, I have consistently stood up for women’s rights, women’s safety and the right of victims to be heard with dignity and respect,” the statement said. “These values remain unchanged. I stand in solidarity with victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, and I support efforts to ensure accountability, justice and meaningful reform.

The documents indicate that Epstein and Sturm were in frequent contact from late 2011, a period when Epstein had already been convicted of sexual offences.

Millions of pages of material linked to Epstein have been made public, naming a large number of people who had contact with him. He committed suicide in jail in 2019.