Scotland Cops Investigate Epstein's Balmoral Visits

Police in Scotland are quietly investigating Jeffrey Epstein's decades-old ties to the royal family's Balmoral Highland retreat, reports the BBC. The force confirmed that it's conducting "active inquiries" into activities involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell during visits to Balmoral Castle, following information suggesting that women may have been trafficked there, per the Daily Express.

Police Scotland stressed the investigation is in its early stages. "All inquiries are evidence led, with the needs of victim survivors at the heart of those inquiries," said a rep, per the Guardian. Epstein, who died in 2019, and Maxwell, jailed in 2021 for sex trafficking, are said to have been frequent guests at royal residences. Images released earlier this year by the US Department of Justice appeared to show the former prince on a shooting trip at the estate with Epstein, reports the AP, and flight logs reportedly place Mountbatten-Windsor and Maxwell on Epstein's jet to Edinburgh in 2006. The former prince has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.