Student body UCU welcomes Queen's University Belfast decision to cut George Mitchell’s name over links to Jeffrey Epstein

Queen’s University Belfast is to remove the name of one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement from a peace centre because of his links with the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

A bust of former US senator George Mitchell will also be removed from the university grounds.

Mr Mitchell chaired the negotiations which led to the 1998 peace agreement.

The former senator has a long-standing association with the university where he was chancellor from 1999 to 2009.

Mr Mitchell has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

In a statement, the University and College Union (UCU) welcomed the decision of Queen’s University Belfast to remove Senator George J. Mitchell’s name from the Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice.

UCU said: "In 2019, Mitchell was named in court documents for having had sex with Virginia Giuffre, a victim trafficed by the sex offender and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

"Mitchell denied these allegations and maintained also that he had ceased contact with Epstein following the latter’s conviction in 2008.

"However, new information recently released by the US Department of Justice suggests a continued relationship between the two men until at least 2013.

"The values of our trade union movement are justice, equality, and fairness, which we expect to be upheld by our university and those who publicly represent it.

"It is evident that Senator George J. Mitchell fails to meet these standards, and so all links must be removed.”

A Queen’s spokesperson said: “Queen’s University Belfast has taken the decision to remove the name of its former chancellor, Senator George J Mitchell, from the Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, and to remove the bust commemorating him from the University campus.

“This decision follows the emergence of new information contained in the Epstein files released on Friday, which include references to Senator Mitchell.

“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.

“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.”

However, a spokesperson for Mr Mitchell said he is totally innocent of any wrongoing.

Being mentioned in the Epstein files, being released by the US Government, is not evidence of wrongdoing.

Mr Mitchell’s spokesman told the BBC on Monday: “Senator Mitchell profoundly regrets ever having known Jeffrey Epstein and condemns, without reservation, the horrific harm Epstein inflicted on so many women.”

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

The spokesperson also said: "In the recently released documents, an allegation involving Senator Mitchell by Ms Virginia Giuffre is repeated.

"It was first made public in 2020 and denied at the time. That allegation is based on a case of mistaken identity.

"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."

The spokesperson added that Mitchell learned of Epstein's criminal activity only through media reports linked to Epstein's prosecution in Florida and declined or deflected the few invitations to events extended by Epstein's office in the years that followed.

On Sunday, The US-Ireland Alliance said that the George J Mitchell Scholarship Programme would no longer bear his name.

The US-Ireland Alliance said its board of directors had unanimously agreed to drop the former senator’s name “due to new information that has come to light as part of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein by the Department of Justice on Friday”.

The scholarship sends US postgraduate students to universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland and was set up to honour Mr Mitchell for his work.