London Flats Linked to Epstein Abuse Allegations
Epstein London flats were used to house women who later alleged abuse, an investigation says, after a 2015 UK police decision not to probe.
Ayla Demirhan ·
Jeffrey Epstein , a convicted sex offender, rented four flats in London’s Kensington and Chelsea borough that were used to house women who later said they were victims of his abuse, according to an investigation published recently.
The investigation said the London activity took place in the years after a 2015 decision by UK police not to pursue an allegation of international trafficking made by Virginia Giuffre . It reported that receipts, emails, and bank records contained in the Epstein files document the rental of the properties, and that six women who lived in the flats later identified themselves as victims of Epstein’s abuse.
According to the investigation, many of the women housed in the London flats came from Russia, Eastern Europe, and other regions. It said they were brought to the UK after the Metropolitan Police had concluded its initial inquiry into Giuffre’s complaint.
The Metropolitan Police said it followed “reasonable lines of inquiry” at the time. The Met said it interviewed Giuffre and worked with U.S. investigators, according to the account of the earlier decision described in the investigation.
The investigation also described a wider operation that it said involved coercion and cross-border movement. It reported that some women were pressured by Epstein to recruit others into his sex trafficking scheme, and that women were frequently taken to Paris via Eurostar to meet him.
It said the activity reflected established infrastructure and cross-border transportation of women, and that it continued until Epstein’s death in 2019. The investigation added that the operation persisted despite warnings to UK police.
British authorities were aware by 2020 that Epstein had rented at least one of the identified flats, the investigation reported. Human rights lawyers and former police officials cited in the investigation criticised the absence of a formal UK police investigation into Epstein’s activities, arguing there is a legal obligation to investigate credible allegations of human trafficking.