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London’s Metropolitan Police has begun “initial inquiries” into allegations that officers protecting Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor turned a blind eye to events on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, in the latest police action to arise from the release of millions of files related to the US sex offender.
A number of UK police forces have now made statements about potential investigations resulting from the documents. Surrey Police on Wednesday called for witnesses to come forward over an allegation of sexual abuse in the county 30 years ago.
Both Bedfordshire and Essex forces have said they are examining movements of private jets, at Luton airport and Stansted airport, respectively, as a result of the files.
The Met issued its statement on Wednesday after an anonymous person claiming to be a former member of the force’s royalty and specialist protection squad told LBC Radio that officers might have “wilfully turned a blind eye” to misconduct on Epstein’s Little St James island. Officers visited the island while protecting Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince and brother of King Charles.
The Met said it had not so far identified any wrongdoing by any protection officers. But it added: “Initial enquiries into specific allegations have begun so we can establish the facts.”
Surrey Police said they had become aware as a result of the US Department of Justice’s release of the Epstein files of allegations of “human trafficking and sexual assaults on a minor in Virginia Water, Surrey” between 1994 and 1996.
Details in the statement appeared to match those in a report made to the US’s FBI in 2020, released as part of the Epstein files, by a person alleging abuse by a “paedophile ring” when they were aged between six and eight.
The report is one of many claims sent to the FBI in the wake of controversy around Epstein, many of which lack credibility.
Surrey Police said it had found no record that the allegations about the abuse in its area had been reported to it. The force said: “We therefore encourage anyone with information in relation to these allegations to report this to us.”
At least five UK police forces are now assessing information from the Epstein files or conducting investigations stemming from the revelations in the documents.
Thames Valley Police — which covers Windsor, where Mountbatten-Windsor until recently lived — said earlier this month it was assessing information from a US lawyer representing a woman claiming to have been trafficked to the UK to have sex with him in 2010.
The same force has said it was assessing information about a potential offence of misconduct in public office relating to Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct while a special representative for UK trade and investment, a role he held between 2001 and 2011.
The Metropolitan Police has said it is conducting an investigation into former Cabinet minister Lord Peter Mandelson for possible misconduct in public office following revelations in the files. Mandelson has denied acting illegally.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council is co-ordinating the different inquiries.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown last week called for an inquiry after stating that Epstein, a convicted sex offender, used Stansted to traffic girls to and from the UK.
Brown said in an article for the New Statesman that the allegations about Stansted meant that Mountbatten-Windsor should be interviewed by police.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who did not respond to a request for comment on the latest allegations on Wednesday, has consistently denied any sexual or business wrongdoing in his links with Epstein.