Jeffrey Epstein housed alleged abuse victims in flats across London for years, according to reports that reveal the late financier's operations continued after UK police decided against investigating him. Evidence uncovered by the BBC from the extensive 'Epstein Files' points to four flats in affluent areas of Kensington and Chelsea, utilized by Epstein to house numerous women. Six of these women, who resided in these properties, have since come forward accusing Epstein of sexual abuse.

This shocking revelation comes to light after the Metropolitan Police made a critical decision in 2015 not to investigate Virginia Giuffre's allegations of international trafficking to London. Giuffre, one of Epstein's most high-profile accusers, claimed that the convicted child sex offender abused and trafficked her, and in a 2021 US lawsuit, alleged that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor had sex with her at a London home in 2001 when she was 17, an accusation Mountbatten Windsor has consistently denied. The Met’s past statements, dating back to 2016, maintained that “other international authorities were best placed to progress” the allegations and that “no allegation of criminal conduct was made against any UK-based individual.”

The 'Epstein Files', millions of documents, images, videos, and emails detailing Epstein's activities, were released after the US House of Representatives passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act and the Senate unanimously approved it, with Donald Trump signing the bill into law. These files, specifically from around 2018 and 2019 (after Giuffre’s initial allegation), contain receipts, emails, and bank records that illustrate Epstein's correspondence with women housed in the London flats. The investigation by the BBC further revealed that Epstein's sex trafficking scheme was more extensive than previously understood, encompassing victim housing and international transportation, continuing up until his death in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Some of the women, including those from Russia and Eastern Europe, were brought to the UK. Many were reportedly in the UK on student visas, with Epstein paying for their studies in London. Disturbingly, some victims were coerced into recruiting other women into Epstein's sex trafficking operation. The women were regularly moved between London and Paris via the Eurostar to see him. Over 50 Eurostar tickets were purchased between 2011 and 2019, with at least 33 of these bought after Giuffre reported her abuse to the Met in 2015. One victim was transported to London just 16 days before Epstein’s arrest in July 2019.

Epstein's control extended to aggressive communications, with exchanges showing him using harsh language towards women who complained about their living conditions. In one instance, he reportedly swore at a woman, calling her “rude,” accusing her of “disgusting behaviour,” and branding her a “brat who has yet to accept responsibility.” Another message revealed pictures of “cute” models being sent to Epstein by one of the women in London. He also engaged in financial leverage, telling a victim he would loan her rent money for a flat he owned, which she had to repay unless she worked for him for six months, in which case he would “gift” it to her. He even referred to himself as a landlord who paid rather than collected rent.

Specific properties identified include Nell Gwynn House and Draycott Place in Chelsea. Financial records from the Epstein Files reveal a 10,000-page credit card bill attached to one rented flat between 2018 and 2019, with a woman living there possessing a card linked to Epstein's bank account, providing her a $2,000 (£1,477) monthly allowance. Another flat was uncovered through email exchanges between Epstein, letting agents, and a woman.

The Met Police have faced considerable criticism for