Epstein’s flights that ‘secretly jetted into UK airports had British abuse victims on board’

Almost 90 flights connected to disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein flew in and out of Britain over nearly three decades, with some allegedly carrying British women who say they were sexually abused by the convicted paedophile.

The scale of Epstein’s UK footprint has been laid bare by a major BBC investigation, which uncovered flight records, court papers, and estate documents showing the country was far more central to his movements than previously known.

According to the probe, at least three British women who claim they were trafficked appear repeatedly in Epstein’s travel records.

The BBC reported its findings show Epstein used a mixture of commercial flights, chartered planes, and his own private jets to move himself – and others – in and out of Britain.

More than 50 journeys involved private aircraft, most frequently landing at Luton Airport, while others used Birmingham, Edinburgh, RAF Marham in  Norfolk, and London hubs including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted. 

On several private flight manifests, women are listed anonymously, fuelling concerns over who exactly was being transported. 

Lawyers acting for hundreds of victims in the US described it as ‘shocking’ that Britain has never carried out a ‘full-scale UK investigation’ into Epstein’s activities on this side of the Atlantic. 

One senior lawyer told the BBC the UK was a ‘centrepiece’ of Epstein’s global operation.

One of the British women – referred to as ‘Kate’ during court proceedings – gave crucial testimony that helped secure the conviction of Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell for child sex trafficking in 2021. 

Yet, despite her role in the landmark US case, Kate has never been approached by British police, her lawyer Brad Edwards told the broadcaster.

Flight logs show she travelled on more than ten Epstein-funded journeys into and out of the UK between 1999 and 2006.

The BBC has withheld further details to protect the women’s identities.

Another lawyer for Epstein’s victims, Sigrid McCawley, said British authorities have ‘not taken a closer look at these flights, at where he was at, who he was seeing at those moments, and who was with him on those planes, and conducted a full investigation’.

McCawley also said Epstein deliberately favoured certain airports because ‘he’s absolutely choosing where he feels it will be easier for him to get in and out with victims that he’s trafficking’. 

After analysing thousands of publicly released documents, the BBC found 87 Epstein-linked flights arriving or departing from UK airports between the early 1990s and 2018 – dozens more than previously reported.

It also found passenger lists that included unidentified women listed only as ‘females’.

The BBC also reported it discovered 15 flights after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a minor – trips that experts say should have triggered immigration scrutiny.

Legal specialists told the broadcasting corporation that while Epstein died in prison in 2019, a UK probe could still establish whether individuals based in Britain enabled or facilitated his crimes.

According to the BBC, two months ago, it shared detailed information about the flights with the Metropolitan Police, including concerns that alleged trafficking victims were on board.

The Met allegedly did not respond directly to questions but instead issued a statement saying it had ‘not received any additional evidence that would support reopening the investigation’ into Epstein and Maxwell’s activities in the UK, adding that any new material would be assessed.

Brad Edwards said he represents ‘three or four’ British women who say they were abused in the UK by Epstein and others.

He also acts for victims who claim they were recruited in Britain, trafficked to the US, or brought into the UK from overseas.

Kate told the US court that she was just 17 when Maxwell befriended her and introduced her to Epstein, who she says abused her at Maxwell’s central London home.

She described being given a schoolgirl outfit and being pressured to recruit other girls. Court testimony revealed she was also flown to Epstein’s Caribbean island, New York, and Florida, where the abuse allegedly continued into her 30s.

Despite this, Edwards said Kate has ‘never been asked’ by any UK authority about her experiences – ‘not even a phone call’.

The BBC investigation also raises troubling questions about how Epstein was repeatedly allowed into the UK after his 2008 conviction, which required him to register as a sex offender in several US states.

Documents suggest he flew to Heathrow in 2010, shortly after completing house arrest. At the time, Home Office rules stated that foreign nationals sentenced to more than 12 months in prison should generally be refused entry.

Immigration experts told the broadcaster that US citizens rarely needed visas for short UK visits, leaving the decision largely to individual border officers.

The Home Office said it no longer holds immigration records older than 10 years and does not comment on individual cases.

US authorities have previously disclosed that Epstein used a foreign passport – issued in Austria under a false name – to travel internationally in the 1980s, including to Britain.

He also listed London as his residence when applying for a replacement passport in 1985.

Some documents examined by the BBC also reference Epstein’s visits to royal residences, adding to longstanding questions about his high-level connections.

The Met said it reviewed allegations made in 2015 by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell and abused in London. 

Police concluded there was no evidence of criminal conduct by UK nationals – a decision reviewed multiple times with the same outcome.

Giuffre also alleged she was forced to have sex with the former Prince Andrew – claims he has consistently denied.