Andy Burnham considers public inquiries into Epstein and Al Fayed abuse cases
Developed over time first seen 3 months ago
Andy Burnham's office has clarified that he is not pursuing new public inquiries into the abuse scandals linked to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, contradicting an earlier suggestion from the victims minister that the Government was "looking into" the matter. The clarification ends speculation that had built around potential state-level scrutiny of two long-running cases that have drawn sustained public pressure over how allegations of sexual abuse were investigated and whether powerful men escaped accountability.
The reversal means no timeline, terms of reference or formal inquiry has been established for either case, despite earlier reports suggesting ministers were weighing the option. Campaigners, victims' groups and MPs had previously called for statutory inquiries into both scandals, but the Government's position, as it now stands, is that no such inquiries are being planned.
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In short
- Burnham's office denies new inquiries into Epstein and Al Fayed cases.
- Contradicts earlier minister's comment that it was "looking into" the idea.
- No inquiry, timeline or terms of reference now planned.
How this story developed
- 3 months ago The story reverted to reporting Burnham's original "looking into" comment, again describing potential inquiries into both cases without any timeline or scope confirmed.
- 3 months ago Burnham's office reversed course, clarifying he was not in fact pursuing new inquiries into either scandal, directly contradicting the victims minister's earlier "looking into" remark.
- 3 months ago Andy Burnham said he was "looking into" ordering full public inquiries into the abuse scandals linked to Jeffrey Epstein and Mohamed Al Fayed, with no timeline or terms of reference yet set for either probe.
Where outlets differ
Left-leaning outlets 1
- Burnham considering public inquiry into Epstein claimsThe Independent
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Right-leaning outlets 1
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The case for
Advocates for full public inquiries argue that survivors of these two scandals have waited years for a thorough, independent account of how warnings were missed or ignored, and that only a statutory inquiry has the power to compel documents and testimony that voluntary reviews cannot. They contend that the wealth and status of both men allowed alleged abuse to continue unchecked, and that a formal inquiry is essential to expose institutional failures, deliver a measure of justice to victims, and ensure such warning signs are acted upon in future.
The case against
Sceptics of launching full inquiries at this stage caution that they are lengthy, expensive and can take years to report, during which survivors may be required to relive traumatic experiences with no guarantee of new accountability, since both men are dead and beyond prosecution. They also note that without agreed terms of reference, timeline or scope, it is premature to commit to a statutory process, and that existing police reviews or prior investigations may already address much of the ground, meaning resources might be better directed towards current safeguarding concerns rather than a costly retrospective exercise.
Explained simply
Andy Burnham is the Mayor of Greater Manchester, a senior figure in local government with responsibility for policing in the region. He has said he is looking into ordering full public inquiries into two long-running abuse scandals: one linked to the American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges, and the other linked to Mohamed Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods department store, who died in 2023. Both men were accused, after their deaths, of sexually abusing women and girls over many years.
Neither scandal is new. Epstein's case has drawn global attention over his connections to wealthy and powerful figures and questions about who else may have known about or enabled his conduct. Al Fayed faced allegations from former Harrods employees that he abused them and used his position and staff to help cover it up. In both cases, victims and campaigners have long argued that warning signs were missed or ignored for years.
A full public inquiry is a formal, government-backed investigation with powers to gather evidence and compel witnesses, typically used to establish what went wrong and who bears responsibility. Calls for such inquiries into both cases have been building from victims' groups and politicians, who want clearer answers on how the allegations were handled by those in a position to act. Burnham's statement raises the possibility of that scrutiny happening, though at this stage nothing has been confirmed about scope, timing or how the inquiries would work.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Andy Burnham ‘looking into’ ordering public inquiries into Jeffrey Epstein and Mohamed Al Fayed abuse scandals”.