A recent BBC investigation has uncovered that convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein housed several women he allegedly abused in a network of flats across London, despite the Metropolitan Police receiving a report of sex trafficking in 2015. The investigation found that Epstein rented four properties in the affluent areas of Kensington and Chelsea, where six of his victims were accommodated. Some of these women were coerced into recruiting additional victims and were regularly transported to Paris via Eurostar to visit Epstein, including ten trips during the final six months of his life.
Details of the Investigation
The BBC traced the flats through Epstein’s extensive 10,000-page credit card bills, a shipment of gifts, and an examination of a flat’s exterior that led to a tenancy agreement. Despite being located in one of London’s wealthiest neighbourhoods, the flats were often overcrowded, with women sleeping on sofas. When confronted about the living conditions, Epstein reacted angrily, swearing at one woman and calling her a “brat who has yet to accept responsibility.”
Coercion and Recruitment
Documents revealed that women were pressured into recruiting other young girls, with one sending Epstein pictures of “cute” models for his approval. The financier also paid for at least five women to study in London, covering course fees at English language colleges. Between 2011 and 2019, he purchased at least 53 Eurostar tickets for women traveling between England and France, sometimes exploiting reduced youth fares for those under 25. One woman was transported just 16 days before Epstein’s arrest in 2019, which led to his death in prison from a suspected suicide.
Police Response and Missed Opportunities
Several women were brought to the UK from Russia and eastern Europe, even after Virginia Giuffre reported Epstein to the Metropolitan Police in 2015. In early 2020, a second woman also reported abuse, but it remains unclear if her complaint was acted upon. The Met stated it followed “reasonable lines of inquiry” and interviewed Giuffre multiple times. Tessa Gregory, a human rights lawyer at Leigh Day, expressed shock that no UK police investigation was launched into Epstein’s activities, emphasising that the state has a legal obligation to investigate credible allegations of human trafficking.
Kevin Hyland, a former senior Met detective and the UK’s first independent anti-slavery commissioner, highlighted missed opportunities to investigate Epstein. He questioned who in the police decided to allow Epstein to continue his activities despite a victim coming forward. Other British authorities, including the National Crime Agency, passed financial intelligence to the FBI showing payments to Coutts bank for the rent of a Chelsea flat where victims were housed.
Continued Concerns
The investigation also uncovered over 120 private and commercial flights linked to Epstein arriving and departing from the UK, some carrying victims. The Met Police reiterated in 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2025 that other international authorities were better placed to investigate, and officers found no allegations of criminal conduct against any UK-based individual. Scotland Yard said it was “fully engaged” with the National Police Chiefs’ Council group established after the Epstein files were released.
Lisa Phillips, an Epstein survivor, told BBC Newsnight that many women came forward in the UK and is calling for a public inquiry to determine what went wrong and how to prevent future failures. The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment.
