Epstein fallout faces Atlantic wall, history writes a dark chapter
Thirty years after the first complaint, 20 years after the first police report, and more than six years after Jeffrey Epstein was arrested for the second time on the charge of sexually abusing underage girls, the arc of justice is finally bending to haunt a few of the many rich and powerful persons associated with the convict. The latest such person to be investigated is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince stripped of his royal titles last year—a decade after Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre accused him of paedophilia.
It marks an inflection point for the British royal family, even if it’s not a stranger to scandals. Though the charge against Andrew—misconduct in public office, or knowingly indulging in serious wrongdoing when working for the public—is not easy to prove, the sight of someone who is still eighth in the line of succession to the British throne in handcuffs is a massive blow.
The latest revelations’ fallout faces an Atlantic divide. Apart from Andrew, former British ambassador Peter Mandelson, former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland and former French culture minister Jack Lang have stepped down from high offices. In contrast, the only political appointee to have stepped down for association with Epstein in the US is Alexander Acosta, a former labour secretary who resigned in 2019. Apart from a few in academia, law and business, the other American associates of Epstein—including President Donald Trump—are defiant for now. They ought to remember that if morality is brazenly held acquiescent to American singularity, it’s the latter that frays.
It’s true that mere association with Epstein is not a crime; many associates have claimed they sought investment advice or access to leaders. But a question of ethics arises when those holding government or fiduciary posts stayed in touch with the disgraced financier even after his first conviction.
Some of the 3 million Epstein files still held back despite a law mandating their release may yet see the light of day, as demanded by hundreds of survivors. Some of the allegations may also be quietened by lawyered scrutiny. But even at the present level of disclosure, what’s certain is that the abhorrent episode will go down in the court of public opinion as one of the worst transgressions of all times.