In this courtroom sketch, Ghislaine Maxwell is sitting at the defense desk while watching the testimony of witnesses during her trial in New York.
Elizabeth Williams / AP
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Elizabeth Williams / AP
In this courtroom sketch, Ghislaine Maxwell is sitting at the defense desk while watching the testimony of witnesses during her trial in New York.
Elizabeth Williams / AP
British social media site Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty on Wednesday of facilitating the abuse of underage girls at the hands of wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein.
A federal jury deliberated for five full days before finding Maxwell guilty of five of the six counts she faced, including sex trafficking of a minor. A 60-year-old man was acquitted of soliciting a minor to travel with the intention of engaging in illegal sexual activity. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in 2019 while in a correctional facility in Manhattan.
During the trial, jurors heard four women accuse Maxwell of luring them into Epstein’s lavish homes to have sex with him and other powerful men. For three weeks, the women describe how Maxwell, who dated Epstein in the 1990s, presented herself as a friendly sister, winning their trust with gifts and comfortable shopping. Two of the women testified that they were 14 years old when Maxwell lured them into performing sex acts with Epstein. One woman testified that Maxwell was present and even participated in some of the encounters.
Maxwell, who vehemently denies playing a role in any of the abuses, faces 65 years behind bars, including up to 40 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor – a felony charge. for which she was convicted. She was also found guilty of conspiracy to entice a minor to travel to commit illegal sexual acts, conspiracy to transport a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transporting minors with the intent to engage in criminal sex activity and criminal conspiracy. the sex trafficking of minors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Prosecutors say Maxwell’s conviction is far from imminent.
“The road to justice has been too long. But, today, justice has been done,” US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. statement, moments after the verdict.
He added: “A unanimous jury found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable – facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children. The crimes she committed. committed with his accomplice and longtime accomplice, Jeffrey Epstein.”
It was a case that gained international attention and sparked countless conspiracy theories. And there’s plenty of fodder: Maxwell and Epstein, a couple in the 1990s and early 2000s, were surrounded by rich and powerful men, including Bill Gates and Bill Clinton.
Over the past few years, a steady stream of women have accused Maxwell and Epstein of abusing them while they were underage. Some also said the couple forced them to have sex with famous men such as Prince Andrew and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Both deny these allegations.
Epstein died before being prosecuted
Initial efforts to prosecute Epstein were met with accusations of financiers play by the system, the judiciary is corrupt and cover-up. His death in 2019 while in custody at a Manhattan correctional facility was attributed to a suicide, but there have been many question about situation. Some people denounced him said his death before facing justice left them with a feeling of emptiness.
“The fact that I will never get the chance to face my predator in court has eaten away at my soul,” said Jennifer Araoz, who accused Epstein of raping her when she was 15. said immediately after his death.
Defense says Maxwell was a scapegoat for Epstein
This sense of unresolved justice is exactly what the defense took advantage of in their case during the trial against Maxwell. Her lawyer described her as a scapegoat, being tried on behalf of Epstein.
In their opening argument, they made a biblical comparison. Maxwell’s attorney, Bobbi Sternheim, said: “Ever since Eve was accused of luring Adam to eat apples, women have been disregarded,” Maxwell’s attorney, Bobbi Sternheim, said, adding that Epstein was “the elephant in the room. “.
The defense also tried to prove that although they were once a romantic couple, Maxwell and Epstein had been apart for many years and by the early 2000s they were living separate lives. Her lawyer said whatever he did in his personal life was none of Maxwell’s business.
The prosecution portrays Maxwell as a predator
The prosecution painted a completely different picture. In her opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz alleges that Epstein and Maxwell ran a “pyramid abuse scheme.” She describes them as “criminal partners” and says “they have a playbook.”
Four accusers stood up, recounting Epstein’s abuse and the essential role Maxwell played in facilitating it. The accusers say they were in their teens at the time and in positions of vulnerability due to financial instability and broken families.
They told the court that Maxwell and Epstein lured them with promises of help with their careers and education. They describe Maxwell as a fun, stylish older sister character who “groomed” them – normalized and even engaged in sexual abuse.
The women all testified that although the alleged abuse happened about two decades ago, it has haunted them ever since.
Defense lawyers pushed back, arguing that 20 years is a long time to remember an incident clearly. Maxwell’s team invited renowned memory expert Elizabeth Loftus, who spoke about research on how memory can fail, especially over time. It can be contaminated and tampered with. False memories can even be implanted. Maxwell’s attorneys also questioned why the women against her chose to do so two decades later, suggesting that they did so for financial gain.
The trial is expected to last about six weeks, but arguments cover only about half that time. Maxwell did not testify. “In your honor, the Government has failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt so there is no need for me to testify,” she said, according to Julie K. Brown’s The Miami Herald.
The jury considers starting from last monday.
Among other things, jurors were instructed to consider whether Maxwell consciously condone the abuse. This makes Maxwell harder to defend: “Intentional blindness” or “conscious avoidance” is a judicial doctrine expands the definition of knowledge to include closing one’s eyes with a high probability of a criminal activity taking place.
