Epstein victims tell Burnham to launch public inquiry into paedophile’s links with Andrew

VICTIMS of Jeffrey Epstein are to tell Any Burnham to set up a public inquiry into the paedophile’s links with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The Prime Minister will meet members of the UK Epstein Survivors Campaign in the coming months as the group pushes for “truth and justice”. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Peter Mandelson wearing bathrobes seated alongside Jeffrey Epstein Credit: AFP Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied the allegations against him Credit: Getty The group, which represents nearly a dozen survivors, including the campaigner Lisa Phillips, said the Epstein files which had been published by the US justice department raised “serious questions that cannot simply be ignored”. Any national inquiry should investigate Epstein’s links to the British establishment as it appears police investigations have slowed, the campaigners said. Sign up for the Royals newsletter Thank you! The survivors said in a statement: “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.” Both Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Mandelson were arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations that they leaked sensitive information to Epstein and others. The UK Epstein Survivors Campaign want a UK inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein to be set up Credit: Getty The survivors group also want the inquiry to look into the details of the money paid by the Royal Family to Virginia Giuffre Credit: Getty Both men denied the claims and were released pending investigation. Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing relating to Epstein. While Lord Mandelson has said he kept an association with Epstein for “far too long” he said he never saw any evidence of wrongdoing or criminality. Thames Valley Police said it would widen the range of its investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor to include allegations of sexual misconduct, should anyone come forward. Most read in Royals The force also contacted the Met Police to gain files on Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre was interviewed by the Met in July 2015 after she accused Epstein of trafficking her for sexual exploitation. A full-blown investigation was not started though, with the cops saying there was no allegation of criminal conduct against any British national. UK police also want US officials to hand over any unredacted material from the Epstein files to help their investigation, but the efforts are said to have reached an impasse. The UK Epstein Survivors Campaign also want an inquiry to look into whether individuals in position of power in Britain “enabled, facilitated or failed to stop Epstein’s global sexual abuse and trafficking network”. They want officials to answer questions surrounding the exact funding details of an eight-figure settlement paid by the Royal Family to Giuffre after she accused Mountbatten-Windsor of sexual abuse when she was 17. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied the claims. It’s thought Buckingham Palace gave Giuffre a £12million payment in 2022 to end a New York federal lawsuit she filed. The exact financial details were never revealed. It appeared last week that Burnham was poised to approve a UK inquiry into Epstein but this was denied by No 10 later. However, sources told The Telegraph that the PM still appears to be more engaged on the idea than his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, and has expanded Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones’s role as victims minister to have a global scope. A spokesman for the UK Epstein Survivors Campaign said: “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. “He has already shown survivors immense courage, compassion and a willingness to listen. “We sincerely hope his leadership can help deliver what survivors have waited far too long for: truth, accountability and justice.” The drive for a UK inquiry has gained cross-party support, with a number of MPs saying they backed the idea. Before being appointed by the PM, Ms Davies-Jones told The Telegraph last month “survivors should never have had to fight this hard, for this long, simply to be heard”. “Change is long overdue, and I am hopeful the incoming Prime Minister and government will finally deliver it, because we cannot keep letting survivors down by forcing them to fight for justice again and again.” Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, and Conservative MP and former minister Mims Davies and former minister, have both thrown their support behind an inquiry. Mr Davey said: “The survivors and victims of Jeffrey Epstein deserve the whole truth about what happened to them, so we can hold those responsible to account. “That means a full statutory inquiry into how a paedophile gained such significant access to our establishment, and how he got away with abuse and criminal activity for so long. “A full public inquiry with powers to compel witnesses and access messages and emails is essential. “Only by getting the whole truth can we ensure that such corruption in the British establishment is never repeated.” Ms Davies said: “No abuse survivor should ever be afraid to come forward because either they fear they won’t be believed or remain in fear about those they are speaking about. “They deserve compassion, respect, openness and crucially justice… We owe it to the survivors to ensure their voices are heard.” The UK Epstein Survivors Campaign 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. “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.” A Downing Street spokesman said: “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.”