BBC Investigation Reveals Jeffrey Epstein Housed Abuse Victims in London Flats After Metropolitan Police Declined to Investigate
Introduction
A BBC investigation has uncovered evidence that the late financier Jeffrey Epstein rented four flats in the affluent London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea to house women he allegedly abused. This occurred after the Metropolitan Police decided not to investigate a 2015 allegation of trafficking made by Virginia Giuffre. Six women who stayed in these properties have since come forward as victims of Epstein's abuse.
Main Body
According to documents from the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice, the BBC reviewed millions of pages of receipts, emails, and bank records. These records show that Epstein rented four flats in Kensington and Chelsea. Many of the women housed there originated from Russia, Eastern Europe, and other regions. They were brought to the UK after the Metropolitan Police opted not to pursue Giuffre's 2015 complaint that she had been trafficked to London. The Met stated it had conducted appropriate investigative steps, interviewed Giuffre multiple times, and cooperated with US investigators. The BBC's findings indicate that British police had additional opportunities to investigate Epstein. A second woman complained to the Met in early 2020 that she had been abused by Epstein in the UK; it remains unclear whether this complaint was acted upon. Furthermore, a 2020 document in the files shows that British authorities were aware that Epstein had rented at least one of the identified flats. Kevin Hyland, a former senior Met detective and the UK's first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, stated that police missed opportunities. He suggested that officers could have monitored credit cards and IP addresses of individuals frequently booking tickets for groups of women. Human rights lawyer Tessa Gregory expressed astonishment that no investigation had been initiated and noted that the state has a positive legal obligation under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights to conduct a prompt and effective investigation into credible allegations of human trafficking. The Met responded that it recognizes its duties under Article 4 and is confident they were fulfilled. Details from the files reveal the extent of Epstein's operation in London. Some women were coerced into recruiting others for his sex trafficking scheme. One woman sent Epstein photographs of models she had met in London, to which he indicated approval. Epstein also paid for at least five women, many on student visas, to study in London, covering course fees at English language colleges and an art course. The flats, despite their desirable addresses, were sometimes overcrowded, with women sleeping on sofas. When women complained about conditions, Epstein responded with aggressive language, calling one woman a brat and accusing her of disgusting behavior. In one exchange, he offered to pay rent as a gift if she worked for him for six months, otherwise considering it a loan. In 2019, months before his arrest, Epstein communicated via Skype with a young Russian woman living in one of the flats. He sent her a photograph and referred to himself as her landlord who pays rather than collects rent. She subsequently requested funds for English classes, cutlery, furniture, and visa advice for another woman. Epstein used Eurostar to transport women between London and Paris. The BBC found he purchased at least 53 tickets from 2011 to 2019, with 33 purchased after Giuffre's 2015 complaint. In the last six months of his life, he moved women via Eurostar ten times, including one woman transported to London just 16 days before his arrest in July 2019. Some of these women later came forward as victims. Additionally, the BBC identified over 120 private and commercial flights linked to Epstein arriving and departing the UK. The Paris prosecutor's office opened two investigations in February 2024 into Epstein's activities in France, focusing on human trafficking and money laundering. Several UK-based associates of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell have been identified, including a driver, Maxwell's former assistant, and a former household staff member. The BBC attempted to contact these individuals; the driver blocked communication, the assistant's residence appeared vacant, and the household staff member did not respond to inquiries. The Metropolitan Police has issued statements since 2016 asserting that other international authorities were best placed to progress the allegations. The force stated it interviewed Giuffre three times and contacted other potential victims but received no allegation of criminal conduct against any UK-based individual. However, a 2020 memo from the National Crime Agency to the FBI highlighted allegations against Clare Hazell, the Countess of Iveagh, who died last year, contradicting the Met's claim. The NCA also shared financial intelligence regarding Epstein's UK transactions, including rent payments for one of the Chelsea flats. The Met confirmed it is fully engaged in a National Police Chiefs' Council group assessing whether London airports were used as transit points for sexual exploitation and human trafficking. The Met did not directly respond to the BBC's findings regarding the flats and Eurostar tickets. Survivor Lisa Phillips and lawyer Tessa Gregory have called for a statutory public inquiry to compel witnesses and examine systemic failures.
Conclusion
Currently, no formal UK police investigation into Epstein's activities has been launched, although several forces, including the Met, are assessing information following the release of the Epstein files. Critics argue that the evidence of housing, transportation, and multiple victim complaints provides sufficient grounds for a criminal inquiry.