NEW YORK, Dec 29 – Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty by a U.S. judge on Wednesday of helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually assault young girls, and marking the shocking collapse of British socialism.
Maxwell, 60, is accused of recruiting and training four teenagers between 1994 and 2004 Epstein, her ex-boyfriend, who committed suicide in a Manhattan cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on her sexual assault charges.
He was convicted of five counts of six counts, including one count of sexual trafficking. Lawyers for Maxwell, who faces 65 years in prison, have vowed to appeal.
Maxwell’s trial was widely regarded as one of Epstein’s most recent crimes and was one of the most debilitating cases in the history of #MeToo, which encouraged women to talk about sexual harassment of celebrities and powerful people.
During the month-long trial, the judges heard shocking and clear evidence from four women who portrayed Maxwell as important in their case against Epstein. Three out of four say Maxwell himself has touched bare breasts or shared a joint, which often starts as a massage.
Maxwell’s lawyers wanted to discredit the women, saying they were motivated by money to blame Maxwell as they all received $ 1 million in compensation from Epstein victims’ compensation fund.
But women objected, saying that they had decided to testify because they wanted justice, not money.
“Money will never fix what this woman did to me,” said one woman, better known as Carolyn, who said that Maxwell once touched her bare breasts and buttocks while preparing to massage Epstein at the age of 14 in 2002.
Carolyn’s case was the main culprit in her sexual misconduct, claiming that Maxwell sometimes gave her hundreds of dollars in cash after operating on Epstein’s erotic massage. Epstein was about to masturbate during a reunion at his place in Palm Beach, Florida, Carolyn said.
The judges deliberated for five full days before reaching a decision.
After reading the verdict Maxwell, wearing a burgundy turtleneck, came across a glass of water. Defendant’s attorney Jeffrey Pagliuca patted his upper back. Maxwell, who could not speak, looked briefly at his two younger siblings, who were sitting on the front porch.
Annie Farmer, one of the women who testified about Maxwell, said: “I am relieved and grateful that the judges saw Maxwell’s behavior over the years and found him guilty of these crimes.”
Maxwell’s lawyer, Bobbi Sternheim, told the media that the defendants were disappointed with the decision.
“We have already begun to process this decision, and we are confident that he will be confirmed,” Sternheim said outside court.
Maxwell will return to the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), where he has been in solitary confinement since July 2020. Maxwell has expressed concern about his treatment in prison, saying security guards interrupted him at night and smelled sewage. into his cell.
Sternheim asked U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan after the verdict was read to confirm Maxwell was receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Nathan said the gun was in the MDC, and would look into it.
‘THE ROAD TO JUSTICE’
Circumstances in the MDC are far from comfortable Maxwell, the daughter of Robert Maxwell, a British journalist, with whom he had been accustomed for much of his life.
His father founded a publishing house and had tabloids including the Daily Mirror. He was found dead on his boat near the Canary Islands in 1991.
Ghislaine Maxwell has been dating Epstein for a number of years in the 1990’s, when the two attended public parties and wore elaborate private jerseys.
During the trial, prosecutors showed the judges’ bank records showing that Epstein had paid Maxwell millions of dollars years ago. They said Maxwell was encouraged to do whatever it took to keep Epstein happy so he could maintain his glamorous life.
Maxwell’s lawyers argued that prosecutors punished him because Epstein was no longer alive.
“Epstein’s death has left a void in the pursuit of justice for many of these women,” Sternheim said. “He closes that hole, and fills that empty chair.”
Prosecutors, however, opposed the idea of describing Maxwell as Epstein’s “criminal partner”.
“Ghislaine Maxwell chose for herself. She committed a crime against Jeffrey Epstein. She was an old woman who knew exactly what she was doing,” said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Alison Moe.
Damian Williams, a U.S. attorney for the state of New York State, applauded the decision in a statement stating that Maxwell had been convicted “of one of the worst crimes you could ever imagine.
“The road to justice is very long,” he said in a statement. “But, today, justice has been done. I want to commend the courage of the girls – now older women – who come out of the shadows and go to court.”
Epstein’s arrest and suicide have drawn attention to Maxwell’s role in his ordeal, and to financial ties with key figures such as former US President Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, British prince Andrew and billionaire investor Leon Black.
No arrests have been made in connection with Epstein’s crimes.
The prince, a former Epstein ‘friend, is defending a Manhattan civil case alleging sexual harassment of Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers. Andrew has denied the allegations.
‘THAT’S NOT A TRUE THEN’
During the trial, prosecutors showed the judge a green massage table taken in the Epstein’s Florida area in 2005, supporting women’s descriptions of massage.
One case against which Maxwell was acquitted – seducing a young girl to engage in illicit sex – is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The case involved a woman known by the nickname Jane, who testified that she was 14 when Epstein first assaulted her in 1994.
Jane said she used to go to Epstein’s homes in New Mexico and New York, where other abuses took place, and that Maxwell sometimes helped coordinate her trip.
Maxwell sometimes participated in his sexual encounters with Epstein and pretended it was normal, Jane said.
“It was confusing because that was unusual for me,” said Jane. “I have never seen anything like it or heard such a thing.”
Despite the acquittal, the judge appeared to find other aspects of Jane’s case reliable. They convicted Maxwell of child molestation for illegally abusing a child, the only other case involved.