Victims of Jeffrey Epstein Ask Why Ghislaine Maxwell’s Co-Conspirators Are Not on Trial With Her
© REUTERS / JANE ROSENBERG
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The news comes eight days before Maxwell, 59, stands trial in New York. The alleged accomplice of US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein faces eight charges, including sex trafficking of minors and enticing minors as young as 14 to engage in illegal sex acts. She claims she is innocent and has been made a scapegoat for Epstein’s crimes.
Alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein have asked the prosecution why Ghislaine Maxwell’s co-conspirators are not on trial with her. Earlier, prosecutors said that Maxwell had three accomplices – the late Jeffrey Epstein and two other individuals, whose identities are protected. According to The Telegraph, the said individuals are cooperating with the prosecution.
The news has sparked indignation among the alleged victims of Epstein and Maxwell.
"It doesn’t seem right that only Maxwell is in the dock. There were others who facilitated the abuse and this makes it seem like it was only her", one woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Telegraph.
Spencer Kuvin, a Florida-based lawyer representing one of the victim, said the co-conspirators "were intimately involved in the scheme to lure young girls to Epstein’s mansion". Another lawyer David Boies, who represents several women who were reportedly abused by Epstein, said it would be a “miscarriage of justice” if the other co-conspirators were not held responsible.
One of the co-conspirators will testify against Maxwell during the trial. It is rumoured that the woman is former model Adriana Ross. She is one of the individuals who were granted immunity as part of the plea deal that Epstein struck with prosecutors in 2008, when he was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution and spent 18 months in jail.
Maxwell’s lawyers have asked prosecutors to reveal the names of the two co-conspirators in order to avoid being ambushed at her trial. They claim that they were informed about them only late last month.
One of the co-conspirators will testify against Maxwell during the trial. It is rumoured that the woman is former model Adriana Ross. She is one of the individuals who were granted immunity as part of the plea deal that Epstein struck with prosecutors in 2008, when he was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution and spent 18 months in jail.
Maxwell’s lawyers have asked prosecutors to reveal the names of the two co-conspirators in order to avoid being ambushed at her trial. They claim that they were informed about them only late last month.
Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein
Ghislaine Maxwell is the ninth and youngest child of publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, and was part of the highest social circles in Britain and the United States. In 2019, she was thrown into the media spotlight after her former boyfriend and life companion Jeffrey Epstein was accused by dozens of women of rape and sexual abuse.
The individuals claimed that Maxwell had lured them into the hands of Epstein by promising them well-paid jobs at the millionaire's house. Some of the women claimed that she not only groomed them, but also took part in the abuse. Epstein was charged with running a sex-trafficking network of minors, but he didn’t live to see his trial. He hanged himself in prison a month after arrest.
Thus, Maxwell is the only person who can shed light on his crimes. Her trial is scheduled for 29 November. She claims she is innocent.
Her legal team and family have argued that the prosecutors made Maxwell a scapegoat for Epstein’s crimes after they failed to bring the financier to court. Her lawyers noted that the government pursued a case against her only after Epstein’s death.
Maxwell’s legal team has filed a subpoena for documents related to the settlement fund for Epstein’s alleged victims. It was reported that the Epstein estate had paid over $120 million to more than 135 people. Maxwell's lawyers insist that those who received settlements were required to forfeit the right to sue Epstein’s estate and "related entities and/or individuals", including Ghislaine Maxwell.
The court is now selecting the jury for the trial, with hundreds of people being interviewed for the job. Candidates were asked if they had heard something about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and if they would be able to set the information aside to judge impartially.
One woman had to be excused after admitting that she already presumes Maxwell’s guilt after watching several interviews with and documentaries about Epstein’s alleged victims.
Her legal team and family have argued that the prosecutors made Maxwell a scapegoat for Epstein’s crimes after they failed to bring the financier to court. Her lawyers noted that the government pursued a case against her only after Epstein’s death.
Maxwell’s legal team has filed a subpoena for documents related to the settlement fund for Epstein’s alleged victims. It was reported that the Epstein estate had paid over $120 million to more than 135 people. Maxwell's lawyers insist that those who received settlements were required to forfeit the right to sue Epstein’s estate and "related entities and/or individuals", including Ghislaine Maxwell.
The court is now selecting the jury for the trial, with hundreds of people being interviewed for the job. Candidates were asked if they had heard something about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and if they would be able to set the information aside to judge impartially.
One woman had to be excused after admitting that she already presumes Maxwell’s guilt after watching several interviews with and documentaries about Epstein’s alleged victims.
