When Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse scandal was made public in July 2019, it shocked people all around the world. Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite who was accused of assisting Epstein in obtaining girls, including a 14-year-old who was subject to sexual assault, was also charged with Epstein’s crimes. In August 2019, while waiting for his trial to begin, Epstein committed suicide in his New York jail cell. Sadly for his victims, justice was never delivered. In spite of the horrors of Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes, some justice was served when Maxwell, 60, recently went on trial for a number of sex trafficking felonies she committed with Epstein between 1994 and 2004 at his houses in Florida, New York, and New Mexico. After 40 hours of jury deliberation, she was found guilty of soliciting and preparing adolescent girls to have sex with Epstein in December 2021.
Just four days before Maxwell finds out her fate, the Starz documentary could not have arrived at a better time. Who is Ghislaine Maxwell? A three-part documentary on Maxwell’s rise and fall is available on Starz. It explores her affluent English upbringing, her encounter with Epstein, and how she ended up in a New York jail cell. Interviews with several of Maxwell’s victims, her acquaintances, and reporters who covered the New York City 2021 trial are also included in the Starz documentary.
Ghislaine Maxwell: Where Is She Now?
Maxwell is being detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, awaiting punishment. Since July 2020, Maxwell has been detained at the infamous prison, where she was held in isolation until May 2022. Her brother Ian Maxwell previously described his sister’s isolation as “torture” in an interview with The Telegraph.
He revealed: “Although there are risks involved, she has recovered from the torment she through. The first thing she can access is a human company, something she hasn’t experienced in nearly two years. No speaking to her was forbidden to the prison guards.”
On December 29, 2021, a jury in a U.S. federal court found Maxwell guilty of five of the six sex trafficking-related offenses he was charged with: one count of trafficking a minor for sex, one count of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and three counts of conspiracy to commit felonies. On the accusation of luring a juvenile to travel for unlawful sex acts, Maxwell was found not guilty.
Attorneys are requesting a minimum sentence of 30 years in jail. On Tuesday, June 28, US District Judge Alison Nathan is expected to pronounce her sentencing. The maximum term for Maxwell’s convictions is 65 years in jail. In April 2022, she attempted to have her conviction overturned.
Prosecutors stated in fresh court documents, as quoted by Sky News: “Maxwell identified, groomed, and assaulted several people as part of a terrible partnership with Jeffrey Epstein while she lived a life of exceptional luxury and power. “Maxwell left her victims with emotional and psychological wounds that were irreparably scarred. Although the harm done cannot be repaired, it can be taken into consideration when determining a fair sentence for Maxwell’s actions.”
Maxwell was moved to solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Friday, according to Maxwell’s attorney Bobbi Sternheim, in a letter to the court who will sentence the socialite on June 28. Maxwell was put on the watch “without justification,” according to Sternheim, and she isn’t permitted to use a pen or paper. Sternheim also forewarned that Maxwell might ask for a postponement of her sentence date.
They went on: “The defendant desperately tries to place blame elsewhere rather than even feigning any reluctance to accept responsibility. “She decided to take advantage of countless minors sexually. She made the decision to work as a criminal accomplice for many years with Epstein, harming helpless victims horribly.” Prior to this, Maxwell’s defense had argued that she should spend no longer than four to five years behind bars and that it would be a “travesty of justice” for her to receive a term that would have been suitable for Epstein.
They went on: “Epstein was the main abuser, the mastermind behind the crimes, and he arranged them for his own satisfaction. Ghislaine Maxwell wouldn’t be here, in fact, if she hadn’t had the terrible misfortune of meeting Jeffrey Epstein more than 30 years ago.” In a civil action, Maxwell was accused of lying under oath concerning Epstein’s abuse of young girls. Maxwell now faces a second criminal trial for those allegations. The maximum punishment for each charge is five years.
