Documents from the US Department of Justice reviewed by the BBC indicate Jeffrey Epstein rented multiple flats in London where several women who have since described themselves as his victims lived. The records point to four properties in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and, through receipts, emails and bank statements, identify six women associated with those addresses. Many were from Russia, eastern Europe and other countries and, according to the files, were brought to the UK after the Metropolitan Police decided not to pursue Virginia Giuffre’s 2015 trafficking allegation.
The Metropolitan Police say they followed “reasonable lines of inquiry”, interviewed Giuffre on multiple occasions and cooperated with US investigators. The material in the DOJ files, however, portrays a broader, organised operation in the UK that persisted up to Epstein’s 2019 arrest and death: housing arrangements, cross‑border movement of women and indications that some residents were pressured to recruit others.
The BBC examined millions of pages of court and investigative records to assemble the most detailed picture published so far of Epstein’s UK activity. To protect survivors, the BBC is not publishing identifying details of the women involved.
The files show British authorities had other opportunities to open a formal inquiry. The BBC found evidence of a second woman who complained to the Met by early 2020, and a document suggesting UK agencies learned soon after Epstein’s death that at least one Chelsea flat had been rented by him.
Human rights lawyer Tessa Gregory of Leigh Day said she was “staggered” no UK police investigation was launched and stressed that the state has a legal duty to investigate credible trafficking allegations. Former senior detective and first Independent Anti‑Slavery Commissioner Kevin Hyland told the BBC that the police missed opportunities. Drawing on his trafficking experience, he said officers could have traced credit cards and IP addresses used to book group travel and urged scrutiny of who else may have been involved, adding his view that Epstein “wasn’t acting alone.” The Metropolitan Police says it recognises obligations under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights and is confident those duties were met.
The files include messages showing Epstein communicating with a young Russian woman living in one of the Chelsea flats in the months before his arrest. He referred to himself, jokingly, as her landlord and in some exchanges appeared to pay rent and living expenses. The records that tied the properties to Epstein came from a mix of evidence: photographs posted on Instagram and Russian social media that showed building names matching tenancy documents in his files; a large credit‑card statement; FedEx invoices; emails with letting agents; and receipts for shipments and payments.
Despite prestigious addresses, some flats were reportedly overcrowded and residents sometimes slept on sofas. Emails reveal complaints about conditions and at least one angry response from Epstein. Documents also show he framed some payments as conditional “gifts” tied to a period of work or as loans if conditions were not met.
Several residents appear to have been pressured to recruit others. One tenant sent Epstein photos of acquaintances she described as “cute” models; Epstein signalled his approval and she said she would check their suitability. The records further show Epstein paid English‑language course fees for at least five women, many of whom were on student visas, and discussed acting as a financial sponsor for a higher‑education art course.
Epstein used Eurostar to move women between London and Paris, according to ticket records in the files. The BBC identified at least 53 Eurostar tickets for women travelling between France and England from 2011 to 2019, including 33 bought after Giuffre’s 2015 complaint. In the six months before Epstein’s arrest he arranged at least ten such border crossings; one woman was transported to London 16 days before his detention. Lawyers for some of the women confirmed that Eurostar trips in the records correspond to journeys made by clients who later identified themselves as victims.
In France, prosecutors opened two investigations in February into Epstein‑related activity, focusing on trafficking and money‑laundering; officials said three women had filed complaints relating to people in Epstein’s circle.
The BBC identified several people who worked for Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in the UK, including an individual believed to have served as a driver and a woman described as Maxwell’s assistant. A former household staff member from the 2000s who later moved to the UK also appears in invoices and travel records and exchanged affectionate emails with Epstein as late as 2016. The BBC contacted these people; some did not respond and others declined to engage.
What UK authorities knew and when remains contested. Across statements between 2016 and 2025 the Met has said international partners were best placed to progress allegations about Epstein. The force says it interviewed Giuffre three times in 2015–16, contacted other potential victims and found no allegation of criminal conduct against any UK‑based individual. The National Crime Agency is recorded in a 2020 memo to the FBI highlighting allegations connected to Clare Hazell, the Countess of Iveagh, including an accusation of sexual abuse by a redacted complainant; Giuffre later publicly accused Hazell. The NCA also passed financial intelligence to the FBI, including payments to a Coutts account linked to rent on a Chelsea flat used by victims.
The NCA said it does not routinely comment on exchanges with international partners. A Met spokesperson said the force is “fully engaged” with a National Police Chiefs’ Council group set up after the release of the Epstein files and is assessing information, including whether London airports were used as transit points for trafficking. The Met did not directly challenge the BBC’s findings about the Chelsea flats and Eurostar travel.
Survivors and campaigners have urged a public inquiry to establish what went wrong and how similar failures can be prevented. Lisa Phillips, a survivor who has campaigned for investigations in the UK, said many women contacted lawyers or police and called for an inquiry with powers to compel evidence. After the US file releases in January, several UK police forces, including the Met, stated they were reviewing material to decide whether to open investigations. Kevin Hyland said that, given a trafficking complaint and details of London properties, there was “more than enough to start an investigation” and questioned why a formal UK probe did not follow.