Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse are preparing to tell Prime Minister Andy Burnham to launch a full public inquiry into the convicted paedophile’s connections to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the wider British establishment.
The UK Epstein Survivors Campaign, representing close to a dozen victims including well-known campaigner Lisa Phillips, plans to hold talks with Burnham in the months ahead as part of what it describes as a drive for “truth and justice”.
The group argues that documents released by the US justice department have raised “serious questions that cannot simply be ignored”.
In a statement provided to The Telegraph, the survivors said: “Records and correspondence concerning Jeffrey Epstein, Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor including reported discussions involving money, finances and their relationships with Epstein demonstrate precisely why the public deserves complete transparency.”
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse are preparing to confront Prime Minister Andy Burnham with a demand for a full public inquiry into the convicted paedophile’s connections to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the wider British establishment.
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The campaign also pointed to police investigations that appear to have lost momentum.
In February, both Mr Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Mandelson were taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office, accused of having passed sensitive information to Epstein and others. Both men rejected the allegations and were subsequently released while investigations continue.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing connected to Epstein. Lord Mandelson has acknowledged maintaining contact with the financier for “far too long” but insists he witnessed no criminal behaviour.
Efforts by British police to obtain unredacted material from the US Epstein files have stalled, with attempts to secure the documents from American officials reportedly reaching a deadlock.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing connected to Epstein
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The campaign group maintains that any national inquiry must also scrutinise whether people holding positions of authority in Britain “enabled, facilitated or failed to stop Epstein’s global sexual abuse and trafficking network”.
The survivors told The Telegraph: “Survivors deserve to know the truth. The British and Irish public deserve to know the truth. And no individual should be protected from legitimate scrutiny because of wealth, political influence, social status or proximity to power.”
They added: “It is appalling that, after everything they endured and the courage it took to speak out, UK survivors like so many Epstein survivors in the United States and around the world are still waiting for the justice and accountability they deserve.”
The campaign has also pressed for answers about the precise financial arrangements behind an eight-figure settlement paid by the Royal family to Virginia Giuffre, who accused Mr Mountbatten-Windsor of sexually abusing her when she was 17 — a claim he denies.
The Prime Minister is expected to sit down with Epstein survivors in the coming months, while Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin has likewise committed to meeting them.
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Buckingham Palace is understood to have made a £12m payment to Ms Giuffre in 2022 to resolve a federal lawsuit she had filed in New York, though the exact terms were never publicly disclosed. Ms Giuffre took her own life last year.
Last week, reports emerged suggesting Mr Burnham was poised to give the green light to a British inquiry into Epstein. Downing Street subsequently denied this, though sources indicated that the Prime Minister remains considerably more engaged with the matter than his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer.
Burnham has also broadened the remit of Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones, the victims minister, to encompass a global brief.
The Prime Minister is expected to sit down with Epstein survivors in the coming months, while Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin has likewise committed to meeting them.
A spokesperson for the UK Epstein Survivors Campaign described the group as “delighted” about both engagements, stating: “If there has ever been an opportunity to finally secure the truth and justice that survivors have been denied for so long, we believe that opportunity exists now under Prime Minister Andy Burnham.”
They praised Burnham for having “already shown survivors immense courage, compassion and a willingness to listen”.
A Downing Street spokesman responded: “These women were subjected to appalling crimes and then left to carry them largely alone. They deserve to be listened to.
“The Prime Minister was glad to meet Lisa Phillips earlier this year, and the Government will continue to make sure survivors’ voices are always heard.”
