Jeffrey Epstein housed his abuse victims in plush flats in one of the most affluent areas of the UK, it has been revealed, in the years after the Metropolitan Police decided not to pursue an investigation into his twisted crimes.
Tens of thousands of emails contained inside the Epstein files released by the US government earlier this year have revealed that the serial sex abuser and trafficker rented four flats in posh Kensington and Chelsea.
Six women who were housed in the flats, uncovered via receipts, emails and bank records found in the documents, have since come forward as victims of the paedophile.
Met Police decisions questioned
A BBC investigation found that the women, from Russia, Europe and other parts of the world, were brought to the UK after the Metropolitan Police chose not to investigate an allegation from Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre that she had been trafficked to London.
The Met chose multiple times after interviewing Ms Giuffre, who died last year, in 2015 and 2016 against a criminal investigation, even after reviews when new information came to light in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
A spokesperson for the London service said it had at those times sought advice from British prosecutors and “liaised with United States authorities, who were leading investigations into related matters involving US nationals”.
They said earlier this year: “Following this legal advice, it was clear that any investigation into human trafficking would be largely focused on activities outside the UK and perpetrators based overseas and therefore international authorities were best placed to progress these allegations.
“A decision was then made in November 2016 not to proceed to a full criminal investigation.”
