Investigations editor Zak Garner-Purkis swam to Little Saint James, the Caribbean island allegedly visited by Prince Andrew when it was owned by Jeffrey Epstein, and found that islanders were angry and alleged that those with information were bribed or threatened into silence.
Garner-Purkis travelled to the US Virgin Islands to investigate the notorious vacation spot. At a glance, the white sands, palm trees and coral reefs look like paradise, but overwhelming evidence has suggested the place was hell on Earth for vulnerable young women who visited.
First came the prosecution and prison death of its former owner, then the conviction of his ex-partner Ghislaine Maxwell for operating a sex trafficking network, and finally thousands of pages of scandalous material in the US Government's Epstein Files.
Fear and reluctance on nearby islands
While Little Saint James is private land, it is sandwiched between two larger islands, Saint Thomas and Saint John, that provided staff and amenities to Epstein. Stepping onto the airport landing strip that hosted private jets of VIPs, Garner-Purkis realised there was a reluctance to discuss the scandal.
This was understandable, given the island's reliance on tourism and the divide between local people and wealthy outsiders. As they tried to get locals to talk, news broke that a modelling scout called Daniel Siad, mentioned in the Epstein Files thousands of times, had been found dead.
The breakthrough came when they met local community leader May Leader, who was running for political office on a platform promising to bring "integrity". Islanders started speaking out, and it turned out they were very angry.
Islanders speak out
Empress, who ran a market stall on Saint John, said: "If we had, we would have found [Epstein] given him what was coming to him and rescued the girls."
A long-time business owner said: "It doesn't surprise me that it happened here, the culture here is such that nobody speaks about each other's problems." The allegation levelled by the majority of islanders was not that Epstein's crimes were unknown, but that those with information were bribed or threatened into silence.
Virginia Giuffre previously alleged in US civil court filings that she was trafficked to the location and assaulted by Prince Andrew—allegations he has consistently denied, with the civil lawsuit ultimately settled without any admission of liability.
Swimming to the island
Epstein Island is not a place you can just visit. It has been sold for tens of millions, and YouTubers who have snuck onto the island have been sued for trespassing. However, it is surrounded by public waters, and you can get close without breaking any laws.
No local captains wanted to take journalists to see the island, and rental companies ban customers from venturing into the waters around the site. Garner-Purkis found a flyer for a local boat company with a tourist trip that passed the site, and timed it right to jump off and swim towards it.
As he paddled away in snorkelling gear, he experienced a powerful underwater current that whips around the side of the rocks, dragging you out to sea. A weak swimmer, or a strong one who misjudged the water, would be pulled into the distance.
Isolation and shock
The shores of the two larger islands are visible but so far in the distance that a single person or group would struggle to get anyone's attention. Given that Epstein controlled who could go on or off the island, it is impossible to see how anyone who might have wanted to escape could have done so.
Garner-Purkis realised just how isolated any of the girls taken to this place would have been. "An island paradise is really the same as a locked cellar door if you physically can't leave," he said, adding that it is madness to talk about anyone trapped in this situation being able to consent to anything.
As he sped away, he watched the creepy 'temple' at the top of the hill disappear into the distance. He was surprised at how shocking the site was to experience firsthand. "There aren't many places where the immense beauty is unimaginably tainted by such evil of such globally significant proportions."
