I cannot say how Jeffrey Epstein died. I cannot say exactly what was in the trove of documents that was published a day before his death that described how he lured girls as young as 14 to his home, promising to help them with their careers. There were photos, sworn depositions and witness statements saying that the girls were made to have sex with him and accusing him of trafficking. Epstein “partied with” many powerful men over the years. A lot of these men were, and are, protected by powerful lawyers.

As with many high-profile sexual predators (Savile, Cosby, Weinstein), I can say for sure that Epstein did not operate in a vacuum, but was enabled. After being released from prison in 2010 under the terms of a “non‑prosecution agreement” that ended a federal investigation involving at least 40 girls, he was “rehabilitated”, if that means being accepted by the rich and famous. That year, he dined with Woody Allen and the journalist Katie Couric, among others. In 2011, he ate at a “billionaire’s dinner” attended by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. He was close to the Clintons.

And the girls he abused, who are now grown and want justice – who are they? What are they doing? Are they now part of high society?

No. They are just collateral damage. Had Epstein changed his behaviour? It appears not. Did any of his friends wonder what they were doing? Had Epstein learned anything? In 2011, he explained to the New York Post that he was “not a sexual predator”. “I’m an offender,” he said. “It’s the difference between a murderer and a person who steals a bagel.”

Stealing a bagel? Abusing teenage girls? All this was done in plain sight. But he did not die for bagel theft; that I can say for sure.