The criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's network of sexual trafficking has become a European law enforcement matter of the first order. Paris prosecutors on Tuesday opened two new preliminary investigations and issued a public call for victims to come forward, while The Guardian reported that British police are actively investigating claims that Epstein trafficked women through UK airports, including Stansted.
The transnational dimension of these proceedings is the defining feature of this phase of the investigation. What began as a series of American prosecutions — federal charges against Epstein, who died in custody in 2019, and the subsequent conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell in 2021 — has expanded into a multi-jurisdictional European inquiry whose scope is still being established. The release of court documents in New York in recent months, which named previously unidentified individuals alleged to have been connected to Epstein's network, provided European prosecutors with new investigative threads.
Le Monde reported that the Paris investigations concern alleged offences committed on French territory, including potential meetings and activities at properties connected to the network in France. French law permits prosecutorial investigations to proceed without a named suspect, allowing magistrates to gather evidence before determining whether charges are warranted.
In the United Kingdom, the investigation has acquired an additional dimension through questions about the security vetting of Peter Mandelson, the senior Labour figure appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as British ambassador to Washington. Mandelson's name appeared in documents connected to Epstein. Politico Europe reported that the case has prompted scrutiny of UK security vetting procedures, with critics questioning how thoroughly the relevant background was assessed before Mandelson's appointment to one of Britain's most sensitive diplomatic postings.
It is necessary to be precise about what the evidence establishes on this point. Mandelson's name appears in Epstein documents. No criminal allegations have been made against him. The questions being raised — by opposition politicians and some former intelligence officials — concern the adequacy of the vetting process, not the establishment of wrongdoing by the ambassador himself. That distinction matters, and responsible reporting requires it be clearly maintained.
The broader security vetting concern is nonetheless legitimate. The UK's national security vetting process is designed to identify connections and relationships that could create vulnerability to compromise or blackmail. Critics contend that the disclosure that a senior official's name appeared in the records of a convicted sex trafficker — whatever the innocent explanation may be — warrants specific scrutiny within that vetting framework, particularly for appointments to roles requiring the highest security clearances.
The UK airport trafficking investigation focuses on claims, aired following the release of new Epstein documents, that private flights carrying individuals connected to the network passed through British airports. The precise airports, dates, and individuals involved are the subject of active police inquiry and have not been publicly confirmed.
European law enforcement cooperation in the Epstein investigations is at an early stage. France and the United Kingdom have separate legal systems and distinct investigative frameworks, but both operate within European judicial cooperation instruments that facilitate the sharing of evidence across borders. As the document releases from American courts continue to generate new investigative leads, the European dimension of this case is likely to grow rather than contract.
