Around the world, the public is demanding that those connected to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein face consequences – so far, the UK is among only a handful of countries to have answered that call, with law enforcement announcing investigations into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, and Peter Mandelson over claims they passed confidential information to Epstein. While this is, of course, laudable, let’s not forget that any impending punishments are still too little, too late.

In a news cycle flurry on Tuesday, 3 February, former business secretary and now former House of Lords member Peter Mandelson faced a number of cascading consequences for his close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As documents released by the US Department of Justice appeared to show Mandelson leaking government information to Epstein, taking money from Epstein and acting on lobbying advice from Epstein, a public furore grew.

Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday and, under further pressure after the prime minister announced he had referred the case to the Metropolitan Police, Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords on Tuesday afternoon. By Tuesday evening, the Met confirmed it is proceeding with an investigation into Mandelson’s alleged leaks.

Lawyers for Mandelson have said he “regrets, and will regret until his dying day, that he believed Epstein’s lies about his criminality.

“Lord Mandelson did not discover the truth about Epstein until after his death in 2019,” said a spokesperson for the law firm Mishcon de Reya, which represents Mandelson (via Al Jazeera). “He is profoundly sorry that powerless and vulnerable women and girls were not given the protection they deserved.”

Also on Tuesday, police in Thames Valley – in whose jurisdiction the Royal Lodge falls – announced they will review new evidence of alleged sexual abuse at the hands of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. The former Duke of York denies any wrongdoing.

“We are aware of reports about a woman said to have been taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes,” a spokesperson said. “We are assessing the information in line with our established procedures.”

While Thames Valley’s announcement is one step behind the Mandelson story – it has not formally announced that an investigation has begun – both developments are significant because they signal UK authorities taking action against two of the powerful men associated with Epstein who are in British jurisdictions.

With dozens of men named in new documents linked to Epstein all over the world and a resounding silence from authorities in other countries – most importantly, of course, the US – in terms of any further investigation into any of these men, these developments in the UK are significant. But their comparative significance also only highlights just how badly the Epstein victims have been treated, and continue to be treated.

These two potential criminal investigations are minor chinks in the armour of the public impunity enjoyed by all of the alleged perpetrators linked to Epstein. The late survivor Virginia Giuffre came forward with detailed allegations of being raped by Mountbatten-Windsor in a British jurisdiction in 2014. From that point onwards, law enforcement covering the townhouse in which the alleged rape took place could and should have fully investigated that allegation. They declined to do so.

In a statement, Met commander Ella Marriott said, “Officers assessed all available evidence at the time, interviewed the complainant, Ms Virginia Giuffre, as well as contacting several other potential victims. This did not result in any allegation of criminal conduct against any UK-based nationals.” Mountbatten-Windsor has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Similarly, Mandelson’s close links to Epstein – including a photo appearing to show Mandelson with Epstein on his Caribbean island – have been widely known for many years. Keir Starmer could have acted on them at any point since he came to power, but he declined to do so.

In the time that has elapsed since, victims have continued to be retraumatised by law enforcement’s unwillingness to take their allegations or any allegations of other wrongdoing by Epstein’s associates seriously. In that time, victims have had to deal with the consequences of being disbelieved, ignored, and treated as disposable. In that time, Mountbatten-Windsor’s alleged victim, Virginia Giuffre, has paid the ultimate price. She died by suicide in 2025 at age 41 after a life defined by a horrific struggle with abuse and trauma.