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Beyond Epstein: a defining moment for accountability

Public outrage can open the door to change, but only structural reform secures lasting progress. In this piece, Andrew Wallis OBE, CEO of Unseen, argues for a coordinated national response.

Moments of national attention can either fade into the noise or lead to meaningful reform. The renewed scrutiny surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, along with Gordon Brown’s call for a deeper examination of Britain’s role, presents such a moment. It should not be reduced to personalities or limited to partisan sparring. At its core, it’s a test of whether the United Kingdom is willing to confront exploitation wherever it exists, especially where it intersects with power. 

Brown’s intervention reveals an uncomfortable truth. When influence, wealth, and access converge, institutions can be hesitant. That hesitation erodes trust and sends an unintended message that accountability is uneven. For survivors of abuse, this perception deepens their injury. For the wider public, it undermines confidence in the rule of law. 

But the importance of this moment goes far beyond any single case. Modern slavery remains a vast global crime. International estimates suggest around 50 million people worldwide live in conditions of modern slavery, including sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, and debt bondage. At least 130,000 are in the UK. Women and girls are disproportionately affected. These figures should shape our response. If public debate focuses solely on elite misconduct, we risk overlooking the broader systemic issue. 

Britain has not been inactive. The Modern Slavery Act of 2015 was once regarded as a world-leading piece of legislation. It established transparency requirements for business and created offences to strengthen prosecutions. The Palermo Protocol, adopted over a quarter of a century ago, remains a cornerstone international agreement, committing states to prevention, protection, and prosecution in the fight against trafficking. Recently, efforts linked to the G20 and other multilateral forums have aimed to improve cross-border cooperation and data sharing. 

However, ambition has not always translated into effective action. Prosecutions remain worryingly low relative to the estimated scale of offending (in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023, just 1.18 % of modern slavery crimes recorded by the police led to a charge or summons). Victim identification remains inconsistent. Survivors often face complex systems before accessing support. Political attention rises sharply in response to scandals, then diminishes. The result is enforcement fatigue and fragmented strategies. 

This is not a criticism of any one party. Successive governments have had to balance competing priorities, limited budgets, and shifting political winds. But modern slavery does not respond to sporadic interest. It demands sustained coordination across departments, law enforcement, regulators, and international partners. It also requires honesty about trade-offs. Stronger enforcement needs investment. Due diligence in supply chains requires robust compliance mechanisms. Survivor support needs long-term funding, not short-term grants. 

If this moment is to become a turning point rather than a mere footnote, three principles should guide the next phase. 

First, accountability must be consistent. When evidence calls for further investigation in high-profile cases, it must proceed with independence and thoroughness. The integrity of the system depends on visible fairness. 

Second, reform must be systemic. Sexual exploitation linked to elites is only one aspect of a broader coercion economy. Forced labour in agriculture, construction, hospitality, and domestic work, to name but a few, is less visible but equally damaging. Policy must address all these forms. 

Third, this agenda must transcend party politics. Exploitation of the vulnerable is not a left-right issue. It is a matter of national character, economic integrity, and international reputation. Britain’s voice in global forums is more influential when our domestic systems are coherent and resilient. 

There are reasons for optimism. Advances in data analysis are improving our ability to spot trafficking patterns. Increased cooperation between financial institutions and law enforcement is helping trace illicit flows linked to exploitation. International discussions marking the anniversary of the Palermo Protocol have renewed focus on turning commitments into measurable actions. These developments show that progress is possible when political will and operational capacity align. 

The public mood is also shifting. Tolerance for the idea that influence can shield wrongdoing is decreasing. This cultural change can support institutional reform, provided it is constructive rather than merely performative outrage. 

Gordon Brown’s intervention can be seen as a call to conscience. It should also be viewed as an invitation to collaborate. Those working on the frontline of anti slavery efforts, policing, civil society, local authorities, and businesses, know that change is rarely swift. It is cumulative. It is built through partnerships, patient reform, and sustained leadership. 

The United Kingdom possesses the legislative foundations and institutional capacity to lead once again. What is needed now is steadiness, a willingness to face uncomfortable truths, and the discipline to turn attention into lasting reform. 

Our immediate focus must remain on survivors: listening to them, supporting them, and ensuring justice and safeguarding apply everywhere, no matter how influential the perpetrator may be. 

Scandal may open the door. Only systemic change will keep it open. 

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Justine Currell

As I came to understand more about the issue, including through a visit to an Unseen safehouse, I knew I needed to do more to stop this abuse and exploitation.

For the last five years of my Civil Service career, I was the Modern Slavery Senior Policy Advisor in the Home Office and led on development of the Modern Slavery Act, including the transparency in supply chains provision and business guidance.

I joined Unseen to lead the development of the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline, and Unseen’s work with businesses. I am regularly called upon to present at national and international conferences and use my experience of working with Ministers to influence other governments internationally to take action to address modern slavery and, in particular, business supply chain issues.

In my spare time I enjoy keeping fit, music, reading and travelling.

Andrew Wallis

What ultimately compelled me to act was a report on how people from Eastern Europe were being trafficked through Bristol airport to the USA. Kate Garbers, who went on to be an Unseen Director, and I wrote to all the city councillors, MPs and the Police Chief Constable challenging them on the issue. The challenge came back to us: this city needs safe housing for trafficked women. And so Unseen began.

But we never wanted Unseen to be just about safe housing. We wanted to end slavery once and for all, and that remains our driving focus.

I chaired the working group for the Centre for Social Justice’s landmark report “It Happens Here: Equipping the United Kingdom to Fight Modern Slavery”. This is now acknowledged as the catalyst behind the UK’s Modern Slavery Act of 2015. It was a great honour to be awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours that year. On the other hand, I’ve also been described as “the loveliest disrupter you could ever hope to meet”.

This job has taken me from building flat-pack furniture for safehouses, to working with businesses to address slavery in supply chains, to delivering training, raising awareness and advising governments around the world.

When not at work, I enjoy travelling, spending time with my dog Harley, cooking, supporting Liverpool and Yorkshire CC, music (I’m a former DJ) and endurance events such as the Three Peaks Challenge and Tribe Freedom Runs – which I vow never to do again. Until the next time.