I salute the brave women who would not remain in the shadows - Christa Ackroyd

The video of Jeffrey Epstein being interviewed not by police but in newly released footage where he sought to reclaim his position and reputation spoke volumes.

Just as Andrew, as in former Prince did, when he sat smugly in front of Emily Maitlis and denied any wrong doing, wrong doing for the avoidance of doubt and legal clarification he still does.

Epstein was asked if he thought charities he had sent money to would still accept his help if they knew it was from him, a convicted sex offender.

His response: “They would take it from the devil himself if it would save their child.”

Was there ever a more glib answer? Quickly the interviewer turned the tables asking Epstein whether he thought he was the devil.

His answer with a half smile was chilling: “No but I do have a good mirror.”

And now the mirror is turned on him and those who associated with him, in particular those who continued that association after his conviction in 2008 after pleading guilty to procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute while negotiating a now discredited plea deal which effectively allowed him to continue with business as normal and shut down, temporarily, an FBI investigation into whether there were more victims, a deal that was kept from those victims.

And there were many – some report up to a thousand, but there were also many who one by one refused to stay silent even if it cost them their anonymity, their mental health, their dignity and in at least one case, Virginia Giuffre, their life.

And it is to those women, brave strong and determined to seek justice for themselves and for others I want to talk about this week.

It is not the first time powerful men and the institutions they are protected by have sought to silence women.

Every time this story comes around as it has done this last week and will do so for some time to come, the victims, some who have gone on public record, some who dare not, are the first thing that should and does spring to mind.

This is not a news story about whether it will bring down a president, a handful of billionaires or even a former Prince. This is a story of resilience against the odds.

A story of women silenced for too long by fear, who decided individually and collectively to stand up for themselves and for each other against abuse and wrong doing and in doing so faced accusations that they were liars, money grabbers, attention seekers or mentally unbalanced.

They were not. They were angry when no one would listen.

And still they used their voice to continue to demand they were heard. And it was through their bravery that the Epstein files stopped being released in dribs and drabs, out of context and often illegible with so much being protected for scrutiny under thick black lines of secrecy.

Well last week they were dumped in a shockingly huge pile of shame onto a world who sometimes forgets how they got there for public scrutiny. Because women refused to shut up and put up. They refused to be shamed and silenced.

These women stood up and were counted. These women testified before Congress. They made videos before the crucial vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate which could not be ignored.

Woman after woman stood shoulder to shoulder declaring themselves not just a victim but a survivor of Epstein, demanding the truth. And they were listened to after years of going unheard.

The numbers are mind boggling. Six million pages of evidence under investigation. Almost 200,000 images and 2,000 videos including the one I mentioned earlier.

Yes names were redacted though if true I wonder if the Department of Justice realised that, according to some, redacted messages put into a word document can be put back there and deleted or scrubbed out sections can be seen again.

If so that is either naivety, or carelessness or at least stupid. But no matter. What they contain will be poured over and discussed now and for decades to come.

And the women got them out there by refusing to give up.

Yes some of the content is shocking. I am more interesting in what it cost the victims to drag them into the public domain.

Today I stand beside and stand proud of every woman and every attorney, every politician who played their part in doing so.

I have interviewed many such women down the line and know what it cost them. But I also know it is at least the first step towards justice and therefore healing, if that can ever be completely achieved.

There are still those who claim there are two million pages more in the Epstein files. But I sense there is no stopping anything any more. Thanks to these women who stood in the spotlight when others wanted them to remain in the shadows.

Of course former American Ambassador, member of the House of Lords and recently resigned stalwart member of the Labour party’s Peter Mandelson should testify to Congress about what he saw, what he knew or at least his relationship with Epstein.

The photographs of him in his underpants were unedifying to say the least. It goes without saying Andrew Mountbatten Windsor should do the same, for the sake of those women both now claim to care about only after trying to save their own reputations.

If the photograph of Peter Mandelson talking to a woman in his underpants was unedifying then there are no words to describe the former Prince seemingly barefoot and on all fours leaning over a woman on the floor, not withstanding that they both deny any allegations.

So if they have nothing to hide they have nothing to lose. While the women who were undoubtedly the victims of a sexual predator (Epstein) who took his own life rather than face the mounting allegations against him, have everything to gain.

Their claims will be investigated in public. Not in the shadows in which they have been forced to hide. Until now.

Oh and for the benefit of doubt if those two men who associated themselves with Epstein don’t testify I see no alternative but for one to loose his peerage and the other to lose their place in the line of succession to the throne.

That at least can be achieved in this country.

In that video interview when asked if he was the devil Epstein replied “No the devil scares me.”

I suspect he was rather more scared of facing the consequences of his own actions.

Just as for years, sometimes decades, a large number women have lived damaged and scared of the consequences of what was done to them.

Epstein said: “Ethics is always a complicated matter.”

It is not. It is actually a very simple matter. It is knowing right from wrong and doing the right thing.