Ghislaine Maxwell trial – live: Victim calls Maxwell ‘engineer of Epstein’s abuse’ as trial resumes today
The trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite and former partner of Jeffrey Epstein, is set to resume today.
Ms Maxwell, 59, is accused of grooming teenage girls for abuse by the late convicted sex-offender and financier. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her.
The trial at a federal district court in Manhattan is expected to last six weeks. It was adjourned for the weekend in New York City on Friday.
Last week, prosecutors brought a green massage table in front of the jurors and one survivor claimed in her testimony that Epstein routinely used massages as a pretext for sex abuse.
One of the sexual abuse survivors, Sarah Ransome — who says she was repeatedly raped by Epstein over a nine-month period — described Ms Maxwell as a “very sick woman” who took pleasure in “humiliating” her victims.
Ms Ransome said: “Ghislaine enjoyed humiliating us. You could see the enjoyment in her face.”
Meanwhile, defence attorney Bobbi Sternheim said on the first day of the trial last week: “The charges against Ghislaine Maxwell are for things that Jeffrey Epstein did, but she is not Jeffrey Epstein.”
If Ms Maxwell is found guilty, she could face up to 35 years in jail.
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How Ghislaine Maxwell met Jeffrey Epstein
Epstein’s massage table brought into court on fifth day of Ghislaine Maxwell trial
Key Points
Prosecutors say Maxwell created a ‘culture of silence’
Epstein’s former pilot reveals names of his celeb guests
Victim calls Maxwell ‘engineer’ of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse
What we’ve learned so far from inside the courtroom
ICYMI: Prosecutors say Maxwell created a ‘culture of silence’
06:26 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Prosecutors at the Ghislaine Maxwell trial accused the former partner of now-dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of fostering a “culture of silence” to hide his crimes.
Prosecutors said that Epstein ordered the construction of a detached staff quarter, surrounded by a tall wall, so as to hide the view of the main mansion from them.
Juan Alessi, the former housekeeper of Epstein’s mansion in Palm Beach, Florida also testified that it was “a kind of warning that I was supposed to be blind, deaf and dumb, to say nothing of their lives.”
The trial of Ghislaine Maxwell who faces six charges — one each of enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illegal sex acts, sex trafficking of a minor, and three counts of conspiracy related to the other counts — resumes today.
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Scenes from Week 1 of Ghislaine Maxwell's sex-abuse trial
ICYMI: Epstein’s former pilot reveals names of his celeb guests
05:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Jeffrey Epstein’s former pilot, Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr. revealed names of several celebrities including Hollywood stars who were guests on the financier’s plane.
During the trial, when questioned by Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney, he named several celebs like Kevin Spacey, Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.
He worked for Epstein between 1991 and 2019.
Mr Visoski Jr said that Ms Maxwell was the “number two” and that Epstein himself was the “big number one” of his operations.
The trial of Ghislaine Maxwell resumes today at a federal district court in Manhattan.
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Epstein’s pilot says Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Trump flew on ‘Lolita Express’
ICYMI: Epstein housekeeper calls Maxwell ‘lady of the house’
05:17 , Maroosha Muzaffar
During the ongoing trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, the housekeeper of Jeffrey Epstein recalled finding sex toys inside his Palm Beach, Florida mansion.
Juan Alessi, over several hours of his testimony last week said that Ms Maxwell was the “lady of the house” and described the years working for the sex offender.
Mr Alessi also said that he found pornographic tapes and a black leather costume at Epstein’s mansion.
He told the court on Thursday that the now-dead financier would get massages up to three times a day, always by a woman.
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Epstein housekeeper says he drove accuser ‘Jane’ to Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion
What we’ve learned so far from inside the courtroom
04:41 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and former partner of Jeffrey Epstein, faces six charges in the ongoing trial — one each of enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illegal sex acts, sex trafficking of a minor, and three counts of conspiracy related to the other counts.
After the trial was adjourned for the weekend in New York City, it resumes today in a federal district court in Manhattan.
Read the full story here:
What we’ve learned so far from the Ghislaine Maxwell trial
Victim calls Maxwell ‘engineer’ of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse
04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
One of the accusers in court last week labelled Ghislaine Maxwell as a “very sick woman” and called her an “engineer” of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse.
Sarah Ransome, who says she was repeatedly raped by Epstein over a period of nine months, said that one could see “the enjoyment in her face” as the 59-year-old humiliat[ed]” her alleged victims.
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Ghislaine Maxwell accuser calls her a ‘sick woman’ and ‘engineer’ of Epstein’s abuse
03:33 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial.
