Police have stepped up their investigations into UK-based sexual abuse allegations linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
Detectives poring over the welter of material released by the US Department of Justice have set up a Gold Group of specialists to look into allegations of sexual offending, including abuse, exploitation and trafficking carried out in the UK.
The paedophile financier had links to the UK including through the former Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and Labour grandee Peter Mandelson, and is believed to have visited Buckingham Palace.
He died in prison in 2019 after being found hanged in his cell while awaiting trial for child trafficking offences.
Around a dozen police forces in the UK have already confirmed they are looking into any potential crimes carried out on their patch linked to Epstein.
And now the national group set up in February to support police forces with their investigations has confirmed it has created a separate strand to focus solely on violence against women and girls allegations.
They have already approached potential victims to share their accounts, including women who have previously spoken to BBC Newsnight and Good Morning Britain.
The group will be chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Claire Bell, deputy director at the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection (NCVPP).
The paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein died in prison in 2019
It will prioritise identifying the scale, scope and nature of any potential UK-based offending within the files, and ‘establishing a nationally coordinated and consistent approach to gathering and assessing intelligence’.
ACC Bell said: ‘Policing operates locally but must remain nationally coherent, which is why the coordination groups have been established to ensure we are joining the dots as the public would expect.
‘Working with the NCA (National Crime Agency), we are reviewing and assessing the published files.
‘We have also reached out to survivors who have shared their experiences with the media to invite them to speak to UK authorities should they feel comfortable to do so.
‘Police forces may receive direct contact from potential victims and survivors reporting matters that are not contained in the Epstein files released. Officers will listen with care to anyone who takes the courageous step of contacting us.’
She said police would be ‘meticulous’ in its assessment of the files, which include more than 3 million documents and pictures released in tranches by the US.
She said: ‘The volume of material is significant, and the detailed assessment of the files will take time, which I fully appreciate can be both frustrating and traumatic for anyone impacted.
‘But it is crucial that we get this right – taking a methodical and coordinated approach to safeguard the integrity of any potential investigations.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein walk together in New York’s Central Park on December 5, 2010
‘Our priority throughout will remain the safety, wellbeing and confidence of victims.’
The VAWG coordination group will work alongside the NCA and the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX), and draw upon the expertise of colleagues from Hydrant, the CSE (child sexual exploitation) Taskforce and Operation Beaconport.
ACC Bell added: ‘No single crime takes priority over another, and the establishment of this second group, and investment in additional intelligence resources reflects the increasing complexity and sensitivity of these matters.
‘Running in tandem, the groups will enable us to consider any and all potential offending and reaffirm our commitment to victims and survivors of abuse. We remain focused on protecting people and maintaining public confidence.’
US lawmakers have repeatedly called for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to answer questions about his links to Epstein.
He has denied any wrongdoing over his Epstein links.
Pressure is also mounting on Ms Ferguson to testify in the US over her apparent friendship with Epstein, although there has been no formal request for her to do so.
Files released by the Department of Justice in January revealed she remained in contact with the disgraced financier, including just 17 days before his release from a Florida jail for soliciting sex with minors.
Last month both Mr Mandelson and Mr Mountbatten-Windsor were separately arrested by police in connection with the paedophile financier. They were both released under investigation.
