Sex-criminal financier Jeffrey Epstein housed women he allegedly abused in several London flats in the years after UK police decided not to investigate him, a BBC investigation has revealed.
Evidence from the Epstein files, including receipts, emails, and bank records, details four flats rented in the affluent borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Six of the women housed in these flats have since come forward as victims of Epstein's abuse.
Many of these women, primarily from Russia and Eastern Europe, were brought to the UK after the Metropolitan Police declined to investigate Virginia Giuffre's 2015 allegation of international trafficking to London. The Met stated that it followed 'reasonable lines of inquiry' at the time.
Some of the women housed in the London flats were coerced by Epstein to recruit others into his sex trafficking scheme, frequently traveling to Paris to visit him, according to correspondence found in the files.
Our extensive investigation uncovered how Epstein's grip expanded in the UK, supported by an established infrastructure of housing and rapid transportation of women across borders until his death, despite numerous warning signs to UK police.
To protect the victims' anonymity, no details about the women are being published. The investigation revealed that British police had multiple opportunities to launch inquiries into Epstein’s activities, including allegations surrounding his interactions with prominent individuals.
The investigation also highlighted that even after Giuffre's complaint, Epstein continued to recruit women, showcasing an alarming indifference from authorities regarding credible allegations of human trafficking.
A shocking revelation from the files includes that Epstein did communicate with women from these flats even months before his arrest, indicating ongoing control over their lives.
His operations reportedly included renting flats, and he was frequently bringing women into the UK from abroad, with evidence suggesting he purchased over 53 Eurostar tickets for transport between France and the UK from 2011 to 2019.
The review into Epstein's files has sparked outrage and calls for accountability among human rights advocates, with many demanding a public inquiry to thoroughly examine the failures of the UK policing system in addressing these significant allegations of trafficking and abuse.
