The family of Virginia Giuffre said Lord Peter Mandelson should never have been appointed UK ambassador to the United States after a cache of emails published last week showed contacts between the peer and Jeffrey Epstein.
Sky Roberts, Giuffre’s brother, told the BBC in an interview broadcast Sunday that Mandelson’s appointment was “absolutely not” appropriate and said the revelations “speak to how deep the corruption goes in our systems.” There is no suggestion Mandelson ever met Giuffre. Mandelson told reporters last week that, “perhaps as a gay man,” he never sought or was offered introductions to women from Epstein.
Bloomberg published emails this month that included correspondence between Mandelson and Epstein in which the peer urged Epstein to fight for early release and revealed a level of ongoing contact. The prime minister dismissed Mandelson from his ambassadorial role this week. Neither Downing Street nor Lord Mandelson provided a comment to the BBC on the family’s remarks.
Giuffre had become one of the most prominent victims of Epstein after she alleged she was abused by him and introduced to other powerful men. She said she met Ghislaine Maxwell in 2000 while working at Mar-a-Lago and that Epstein brought her to London in 2001, when she was 17, and introduced her to Prince Andrew, whom she accused of sexual abuse. Prince Andrew has denied the allegations and reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 that included no admission of liability or apology. Giuffre died by suicide in April.
Amanda Roberts, Giuffre’s sister-in-law, asked why survivors must repeatedly expose allegations for officials to be held to account. “Why does it take us to have to pull out the skeletons for people to be held accountable? Our governments have allowed these people to hold their status and their title without shame,” she said in the BBC interview. “He should never have been given that title. We have to put the spotlight on them.”
The family also referenced Epstein’s so-called birthday book — a collection of messages to Epstein that reportedly contains entries from dozens of contributors. Mandelson is among those whose contributions were published. Roberts warned that individuals named in such documents who have not been scrutinised could be in positions to harm others now.
Entries from around 40 people were published, classified in categories such as “friends,” “business,” “science” and “Brooklyn,” while names under sections labelled “family” and “girl friends” were redacted in the documents made public. The publication of names and notes in the book does not constitute an accusation of criminal wrongdoing.
The Mandelson controversy comes amid renewed scrutiny of political and social networks that intersected with Epstein and his associates. The family’s interview with BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg, conducted in the UK, also touched on their hopes for Giuffre’s legacy and concerns about other powerful figures they say remain unaccountable.
While Mandelson’s dismissal was described by the family as a “step in the right direction,” Sky Roberts said it was not enough, urging further investigation and accountability from officials who appoint and defend individuals with contested links to Epstein. The family said they hope the renewed attention will prompt wider official inquiries into how such relationships were tolerated and enabled across jurisdictions.
The BBC said the family’s first UK interview will be broadcast on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. The program is expected to include discussion of Epstein, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and the family’s campaign for recognition and redress in the years since Giuffre first went public with her allegations.