Second woman told Met Police she was sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein
Police said the second woman did not wish to pursue the allegations.
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A second woman reported alleged sexual assault by Prince Andrew’s friend Jeffrey Epstein to the Metropolitan Police, it has been revealed.
The Met is currently under pressure to explain why it never launched a criminal investigation into claims that at least half a dozen women were trafficked, groomed and abused in the UK over a decade by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Until now, only one victim, Virginia Roberts, was known to have complained to the Metropolitan Police. The force said it could not investigate her allegations because any investigation would be based in the US.
However, a Channel 4 News report revealed that a second woman had gone to the Met in December 2019 with allegations of sexual assault against Epstein.
A Scotland Yard statement confirmed that the second woman contacted the force but did not “wish officers to pursue the allegations”.
The Met said: “No other allegations of crime have been made at this time in connection with matters related to Jeffrey Epstein.”
Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor for northwest England, told Channel 4 News: “From what I’ve seen, there is clearly enough evidence for the police to investigate more thoroughly than they have done up to now.”
Mr Afzal also suggested that the police might have taken a different approach if Epstein and Ms Maxwell had not been linked to Prince Andrew.
“The perception here is a different approach was taken in relation to these alleged offences, then there would be than if it was some brown guy in Rochdale, or some sex offender in London who didn’t have any standing at all,” he said.