UK government rules out public inquiry into Epstein for now

The British government has ruled out holding a public inquiry into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's actions in the UK, despite ongoing investigations and victim support.

The ‌British ​government is not actively considering holding a public inquiry into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey ‌Epstein and his actions in the UK, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement on Wednesday.

Nearly seven years after his ‌death, the Epstein scandal has rocked the British establishment, leading ‌to the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles' brother, and of Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the U.S. Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones had ⁠told ​the BBC a ⁠day earlier that Prime Minister Andy Burnham was "looking into" holding an inquiry, but ⁠the Ministry of Justice subsequently ruled this out for the time being.

"Our ​thoughts are firmly with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, who ⁠have survived devastating trauma," a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said in a ⁠statement. "The ​Prime Minister is committed to meeting with victims, but a public inquiry is not being actively considered."

British police are ⁠already investigating a number of allegations related to the disgraced financier, ⁠with possible offences ⁠ranging from child sex abuse to trafficking women through UK airports and misconduct in public office.