Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, has become a key figure since the death of her business partner Jeffrey Epstein – she is the one who remains to be prosecuted for the crimes that have come to light in the course of the Epstein investigation. The convicted sex offender, alleged to have operated a ring for the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, was found dead in his prison cell two years ago. Now the trial of his longtime confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was arrested in 2020 and has been in custody since then, is pending.
In the indictment, the businesswoman is charged with six-point crimes in collaboration with Epstein, the majority of which are sexual offenses. In addition, the public prosecutor’s office accuses her of having lied under oath twice. In an earlier civil case by Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell, court documents that could explain Maxwell’s role had already become public. Giuffre claimed at the time that she had been trained as a “sex slave” by Maxwell.
AP/John Minchillo
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell: She is said to have brought him underage victims.
So, did Ghislaine Maxwell help her friend Epstein commit sexual violence to hundreds of underage girls and lead them into prostitution? That should now be clarified by the process in New York. In the past week, potential jurors were able to take a first look at the defendant. The twelve jurors and six deputies will be selected on November 29th, and the trial is expected to last through mid-January.
Lawyers: Your sleep and health are deteriorating
Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell’s family filed a complaint with the UN that the detention of the accused was illegal. The detention will seriously violate the presumption of innocence, said the human rights lawyers François Zimeray and Jessica Finelle in the complaint published on Monday, which they submitted to a UN body of independent legal experts on behalf of the Maxwell siblings.
Maxwell is detained in the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, where she is isolated from the other inmates – according to the authorities, this is for her own safety and “the proper functioning of the facility”. Maxwell is therefore in her cell 21 hours a day, she is monitored around the clock by the prison staff to prevent a suicide attempt. Numerous body scans are also carried out on her. Her lawyers had already filed an unsuccessful complaint against these MDC measures in August 2020.
Human rights lawyers now described the detention conditions as “unsuitable and degrading”. The complaint states: “Ghislaine Maxwell is monitored 24 hours a day. At night a flashlight is on, which shines in her face every quarter of an hour. Her sleep and health deteriorate, she loses hair. She has to undergo up to seven body searches a day, even though she has no contact with other inmates. Who could defend themselves under such conditions? “
The lawyers questioned whether Maxwell’s trial would be fair. They argue that due to the widespread coverage of the case, a prejudice has already taken place among the US public. The US judiciary violates Maxwell’s rights to an adequate defense. Maxwell himself had also repeatedly complained about what she saw as unsanitary and inhuman conditions in the prison.
The opening speeches are expected in the process next Monday. If convicted, Maxwell faces a prison sentence of up to 80 years. She has pleaded not guilty on all charges.
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