Jeffrey Epstein scandal: Why I'm convinced there's still more to come out
This is a scandal the likes of which we have not seen in my lifetime
I am beginning to lose track of the times we have all described events in parliament as unprecedented. But here we are again.
A febrile atmosphere after a session in parliament which had started so well for the Prime Minister but ended in disaster. His sympathy for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims and condemnation of his actions were swept away by incredulity at the naivety and potentially catastrophic nature of his decision-making.
I don't intend to rehearse the events and news reports surrounding the Epstein scandal and his high-profile friendships again. We have all read what is known so far and are all, I would hope, horrified by the allegations we have read and the contents of some of the emails that have been made public.
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Not just a political story
And while the political and public world is to varying degrees shocked or dismayed at the appointment of Peter Mandelson as our US ambassador, someone known to have connections to Epstein, that is not the point. Neither is the spectacle of various political figures, not least the Prime Minister, battling to avoid becoming collateral damage in the ever widening fallout zone.
Whatever happens next, whoever is forced to resign or is sacked, we must not lose sight of the fact that this is not just a political story. It is a human scandal of huge and tragic proportions.
Lives have been ruined, and lost, because of an individual’s network whose reach, although already frightening, may not yet have been fully revealed. Women and girls were abused, trafficked and treated like commodities by a billionaire with friends in high places.
For many others in this country, the numerous and sadly necessary accounts of his activities will have triggered painful memories of abuse and overwhelming anxieties which our authorities must respond to. Those with the necessary skills now need to reach out and find ways to make sure there is support.
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Prosecutors need to get to work
At least Epstein cannot now damage other lives. This is a scandal, a public disgrace the likes of which we have not seen in my lifetime and once we start to tug at that single thread in the tapestry who knows what, or who, will unravel.
It is almost nine years now since I was elected and it has been one crisis after another: Brexit, Covid, Ukraine, Partygate, Liz Truss.
But this is so much more. If it was simply for pleasure that would be bad enough. Disgusting and unacceptable.
However, with every revelation and public figure added to the web, so the questions about what was really going on become louder and concern deeper. What exactly were Epstein’s motives and what was he up to?
We need our prosecutors on both sides of the Atlantic, indeed in any jurisdiction where this trail leads, to piece together the evidence from the millions of documents. To make sure that anyone with any information offers what help is necessary.
We probably won’t like the picture that emerges. But we definitely need to see it.
Christine Jardine is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West
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