QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST has said it will cut ties with George Mitchell, who was honoured for his work in the Irish peace process, due his links to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. 

Mithcell was chancellor of the university between 1999 and 2009 and its Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice is named after him.

There is also a bust of Mitchell on the university campus.

In a statement today, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) said it will remove Mitchell’s name from its Institute and also remove the bust of Mitchell from its campus.

Bust of former US Senator George Mitchell statue outside Queen's University Belfast. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

The decision by QUB comes a day after the US-Ireland Alliance removed Mitchell’s name from its scholarship programme.

Mitchell, 92, had chaired talks during negotiations of the Good Friday Agreement.

The latest release of the Epstein files show that Mitchell and Epstein corresponded via email between 2010 and 2013.

This came after Epstein’s conviction in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Some of these emails appeared to suggest that attempts were made to arrange a meeting between the two.

The documents do not confirm if such a meeting took place and being named in the Epstein files is not an indication of wrongdoing.

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for Mitchell said that Mitchell “learned of Epstein’s criminal activity only through media reports related to Epstein’s Florida prosecution”.

The spokesperson added that Mitchell “declined or deflected the few invitations to events extended by Epstein’s office in the years that followed”.

An earlier batch of the Epstein files showed that in a handwritten letter, Mitchell once described his friendship with Epstein as a “blessing”.

Last year, Mitchell told the BBC that this letter was written in 2003, several years before Epstein was convicted as a sex offender.

A spokesperson for QUB today told BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme: “While no findings of wrongdoing by Senator Mitchell have been made, the university has concluded that, in light of this material, and mindful of the experiences of victims and survivors, it is no longer appropriate for its institutional spaces and entities to continue to bear his name.”

The spokesperson added: “As a civic institution with a global reputation for leadership in peace, reconciliation, and justice, Queen’s University Belfast must ensure that its honours and symbols reflect the highest standards consistent with its values and responsibilities.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Mitchell added that he “profoundly regrets ever having known Jeffrey Epstein and condemns, without reservation, the horrific harm Epstein inflicted on so many women”.

The spokesperson added that Mitchell did not “observe, suspect or have any knowledge of Epstein engaging in illegal or inappropriate conduct with underage women”.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Mitchell noted that the recently released batch of Epstein documents repeats an allegation involving Mitchell and Virginia Giuffre.

Giuffre was one of the most prominent victims of Epstein and died by suicide last year.

Mitchell’s spokesperson said this allegation was first made public in 2020 and denied at the time.

They added that the allegation is based on a case of mistaken identity.

The spokesperson said: “In 2021, Ms. Giuffre supplied a photograph to OK Magazine, which incorrectly captioned it as depicting Senator Mitchell standing behind Jeffrey Epstein.

“The individual in the photograph was not Senator Mitchell. The publisher acknowledged the incorrect caption and removed it.

“Senator Mitchell reiterates unequivocally that he never met, spoke with, or had any contact of any kind with Ms. Giuffre or with any underage women.”