NEW YORK – Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted last year of trafficking young victims of sexual abuse to financier Jeffrey Epstein over a decade, is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday in a trial that will give many women a chance to speak out about their martyrdom. . Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence Maxwell, 61, to at least 30 years in prison for her “instrumental” role in a conspiracy to sell victims to Epstein at his home in Palm Beach, Florida. Manhattan Mansion, his ranch in New Mexico and his private island in the Caribbean from 1994 to 2004. “In her passage, Maxwell left her victims permanently scarred with emotional and psychological trauma,” prosecutors wrote in their June 22 sentence. “This damage can never be reversed, but it can be attributed to the creation of a fair punishment for Maxwell’s crimes.” Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking and related charges. His death, which was considered a suicide, sparked an investigation by the Justice Department and prompted dozens of women who said Epstein abused them to claim they had been robbed of justice. Maxwell was indicted a year later. In a sentencing hearing this month, Maxwell’s legal team argued that she should not be given significant time in prison “as if she were Epstein’s attorney simply because Epstein is no longer here.” “It would be a travesty of justice for her to face a sentence that would be appropriate for Epstein,” the statement said. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of trafficking girls for Jeffrey Epstein Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a state charge of supplying a minor with prostitution and served about a year in prison in Florida, with extensive release privileges. His agreement to the objection came under scrutiny years later, following an investigation by the Miami Herald that documented the extent of his abusive practices. In the years that followed, there were new lawsuits and accusations against people in the social circles of Epstein and Maxwell – including Prince Andrew of Britain, who settled a political case with Epstein’s accuser, Virginia Giaufre. The embarrassed king has repeatedly denied having sex with Giuffre, who claimed he was trafficked with him by Epstein. Prince Andrew settles sexual abuse case with woman he says was abused by Jeffrey Epstein Epstein’s indictment in New York in 2019 was seen as a second chance for his victims to see him face significant criminal consequences. After his death, investigators turned their attention to Maxwell, who had long been rumored to be involved in the sexual abuse of minors and young women by Epstein. Prosecutors called it “absurd and offensive” that Maxwell, who had been Epstein’s romantic partner for years, believed he was a scapegoat. Maxwell recruited and cared for teenage Epstein teens, who waited for multiple daily home massages from young women who were not professional masseurs and who were forced to engage in sexual intercourse with him during meetings, according to evidence presented at trial. of Maxwell. He looked for troubled young women, often from unstable homes, who were lured by a promise of easy money, prosecutors say. In some cases, he had the same sexual contact with the victims – apparently treating them for sessions with Epstein for which they paid hundreds of cash per visit. Maxwell arranged travel and accommodation for some girls, prosecutors say, and cared about their lives by presenting herself as a friendly, trustworthy elderly woman. Three women will be allowed to make statements during sentencing and another five will be allowed to make written statements for review by a judge. Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Another woman describes being groomed for Epstein In addition to their romantic relationship, Maxwell played a role in the management of Epstein’s homes and lifestyle. Her lawyers said she was not actively involved in Epstein’s abuse and deserved pardon because she was also vulnerable when she met Epstein after her father, Robert Maxwell, a controversial media mogul, died under suspicious circumstances. Maxwell also had a troubled childhood, lawyers said, describing years of parental absence and trauma over the death of one of her older brothers. “The Court cannot heal the wounds inflicted by Epstein by accumulating on the shoulders of Ms Maxwell the pain of each of its victims, the rage of society, the public contempt of the community and then expelling her from the community forever.” the lawyers mentioned in their testimony. They also submitted letters from people listing Maxwell’s positive qualities. A handwritten note by Tatiana Venegas, 31, a Held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, she describes Maxwell as a friendly person who has volunteered to teach yoga and English to some of her bedridden companions. Maxwell, through her lawyer, has often complained about her detention – accusing prison administrators of subjecting her to excessive restraint and her detention in solitary confinement, which Maxwell’s lawyers said was a reaction to the failure of the Bureau of Prisons to keep Epstein alive in custody. Recently, Maxwell’s lawyers complained that she was unnecessarily transferred to a suicide watch area where she could not verify documents related to her conviction.
