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NEW YORK – Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted last year of sexually abusing young sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein for a decade, is scheduled to be convicted Tuesday in a proceeding that will give several women a chance to speak out. about his torment.
Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence Maxwell, 61, to at least 30 years in prison for what he says was his “instrumental” role in a conspiracy to sell female victims to Epstein at his Palm Beach home. , Florida, your home. Manhattan Mansion, its New Mexico ranch and private island in the Caribbean from 1994 to 2004.
“In his wake, Maxwell left his victims permanently marked with emotional and psychological injuries,” prosecutors wrote in their June 22 sentencing filing. “This damage can never be undone, but it can be explained in the making of a fair sentence for Maxwell’s crimes.”
Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking and related charges. Her death, which was declared a suicide, sparked an investigation by the Justice Department and prompted dozens of women who said Epstein abused them to declare that they had been robbed of justice. Maxwell was charged a year later.
In a presentation of this month’s ruling, Maxwell’s legal team argued that she should not be given significant jail time “as if she were an Epstein attorney simply because Epstein is no longer here.”
“It would be a sham for the court to face a conviction that would have been appropriate for Epstein,” the record states.
Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of trafficking in girls for Jeffrey Epstein
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a state charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution and served approximately one year in prison in Florida, with extensive release privileges. His agreement was scrutinized years later, following an investigation by the Miami Herald that documented the extent of his abusive practices.
The following years saw lawsuits and new charges against people in Epstein and Maxwell’s social circle, including British Prince Andrew, who settled a civil case with Epstein’s accuser Virginia Giuffre in March. The dishonored royal has repeatedly denied having had sexual encounters with Giuffre, who alleged that Epstein trafficked him.
Prince Andrew settles a sexual abuse lawsuit with a woman who says Jeffrey Epstein trafficked him.
Epstein’s indictment in New York in 2019 was seen as a second chance for his victims to see him face substantial 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 was Epstein’s romantic partner for years, believed him to be a scapegoat.
Maxwell recruited and prepared teens for Epstein, who were expecting multiple daily massages at the home of young women who were not professional masseurs and who were pressured to have sex with him during the encounters, according to evidence presented at Maxwell’s trial.
He looked for troubled young women, often from unstable homes, who were seduced by a promise of easy money, prosecutors say. In some cases, she herself had sexual contact with the victims, apparently preparing them for sessions with Epstein for which they were paid hundreds of cash per visit.
Maxwell she arranged the trip and accommodation for some girls, prosecutors say, and took an interest in their lives while posing as a kind, trustworthy old woman.
Three women will be allowed to make statements during the sentencing, and five more will be allowed to make written statements for the judge to consider.
Judgment Ghislaine Maxwell: Another woman describes being prepared for Epstein
In addition to their romantic relationship, Maxwell played an important role in the management of Epstein’s houses and lifestyle.
Her lawyers have said she was not actively involved in Epstein’s abuse and that she deserves clemency because she was also vulnerable when she met Epstein after her father, Robert Maxwell, a controversial media mogul, died in suspicious circumstances. . Lawyers have said Maxwell also had a troubled childhood, describing years of absent parenting and trauma from the death of one of his older siblings.
“The Court cannot heal the wounds inflicted by Epstein by piling on Mrs. Maxwell’s shoulders the pain of each of her victims, the outrage of society, the public contempt of the community, and then expelling her from the community. forever, ”he said. said the lawyers in their presentation.
They also sent letters from people listing Maxwell’s positive qualities. A handwritten note by Tatiana Venegas, 31, a A fellow inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, describes Maxwell as a kind person who has volunteered to teach yoga and English to some of his bunk mates.
Maxwell, through his lawyer, has filed frequent complaints about her detention, accusing prison administrators of subjecting her to too restrictive levels of control and keeping her in solitary confinement, which Maxwell’s lawyers have said era a reaction to the Prison Office’s failure to keep Epstein alive in prison.
Recently, Maxwell’s lawyers complained that she was unnecessarily transferred to a suicide surveillance zone where she has not been able to review the documents related to her conviction.