Police probing allegations that Jeffrey Epstein's victims were trafficked into Britain will be unable to bring charges unless new victims step forward, sources revealed on Monday. This development comes as a coordinated national effort involving eleven police forces faces significant hurdles due to destroyed records and a lack of concrete evidence.
Flight Logs Destroyed and Evidence Scarce
Sources have disclosed that the investigation is stalling because many flight logs have been destroyed, and officers are struggling to find sufficient evidence to justify launching a formal criminal inquiry. The majority of the police forces are focusing on claims that the convicted paedophile trafficked women via UK airports and Royal Air Force bases.
Gordon Brown's Intervention
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has written to six police forces, including Scotland Yard, urging detectives to examine documents released by the US Department of Justice. These documents include passenger manifests showing unidentified women travelling with Epstein. Brown has specifically called for police to interview Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as part of a criminal investigation into allegations that Epstein trafficked women to have sex with the former prince.
However, insiders caution that it is not realistic to base a prosecution solely on the US documents. Many of the flights in question occurred more than two decades ago, and passenger records are likely destroyed. The RAF retains passenger manifests for only three months before destruction, while commercial airline manifests for UK carriers are generally kept for six to seven years, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
Incomplete Records and BBC Findings
Although the Epstein files contain details of passenger manifests and flight logs, some records are incomplete, with individuals identified only as 'females'. In December, a BBC investigation uncovered that 87 flights linked to Epstein had arrived or departed from UK airports between the early 1990s and 2018, some carrying British women on board.
One British woman who testified against Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, was listed as having been on more than ten flights paid for by Epstein in and out of the UK between 1999 and 2006. Mr Brown has also urged police to interview civil servants and airport staff to gather more information.
Police Responses and Investigations
Scotland Yard, which is among the forces examining trafficking allegations, has confirmed that no new victims have yet come forward. The force has urged close protection officers formerly assigned to Andrew to assist, but a spokesman emphasised that 'no new criminal allegations have been made to the Met regarding sexual offences said to have occurred within our jurisdiction'.
None of the forces investigating trafficking claims have launched a formal criminal investigation or contacted the Crown Prosecution Service, apart from the Metropolitan Police. In contrast, Thames Valley Police's separate investigation into the former Duke of York is more advanced. Last week, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over claims he leaked confidential information during his tenure as the UK's trade envoy.
The same force is also probing allegations that Epstein sent a woman to the UK for sex with Andrew in 2010. Andrew has previously denied any wrongdoing.
National Coordination and Challenges
The National Police Chiefs' Council has established a national coordination group to support the multiple forces involved in the Epstein-related enquiries. An NPCC spokesman stated that these enquiries 'may take some time due to the volume of material and the complexity of international jurisdictions.' This highlights the ongoing difficulties in pursuing justice without new victim testimonies or substantial evidence.
