Gislane Maxwell could be sentenced to spend the rest of her life behind bars when she was convicted on Tuesday of helping pedophile Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse young girls – with some prosecutors saying she deserves to be “trapped” in a cage forever. “
Seven of Maxwell’s prosecutors made pre-trial statements describing the horrors they said the disgraced British socialist had caused them, and some of the women would be in federal court in Manhattan when she learned of her fate.
Prosecutors have asked U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan to beat Maxwell to between 30 and 55 years in prison – what could be a life sentence for a 60-year-old man convicted of sexual trafficking.
“As part of an embarrassing agreement with Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell identified, cut and abused multiple victims while she enjoyed a life of extreme luxury and privilege,” prosecutors wrote.
“After her, Maxwell left his victims forever with emotional and psychological injuries,” they said. “This damage can never be undone, but it can be explained by making a fair sentence for Maxwell’s crimes.
Maxwell’s lawyers, meanwhile, have asked for leniency, saying she should not receive more than four to five years, while probation officials recommend 20.
An Oxford-educated heiress, who has been held in federal prison since her arrest in July 2020, was convicted in December of sex trafficking and other crimes after a month-long trial.
Prosecutors have convinced jurors that Maxwell is an “advanced predator” who exploits vulnerable girls and prepares them to be abused by pedophile financier Epstein for a period of time.
At least three prosecutors who made statements were allowed to speak during the sentencing, including Virginia Juffre, who has long accused Maxwell and Epstein of sexually trafficking Britain’s Prince Andrew. Two others, Annie Farmer and Kate, a former model, testified at the trial against Maxwell.
“Gislen, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, uses your femininity to betray us and guide us through it all,” Juffre wrote in a statement.
“You could have put an end to the rapes, the harassment, the heinous manipulations you organized, witnessed and even participated. You could have called the authorities and said you were part of something terrible, “she continued. “Gislane, you deserve to spend the rest of your life in a prison cell. You deserve to be trapped forever in a cage, just as you caught your victims.
Evidence from the federal trial of prosecutor Annie Farmer as a 16-year-old. SDNY Virginia Juffre is expected to speak in Maxwell’s sentencing. Bloomberg through Getty Images / Mark Kauzlarich Ghislaine Maxwell enters the courtroom, accompanied by US marshals at the beginning of the trial on November 29, 2021 in New York. AP Photo / Elizabeth Williams, File
Harriet Jagger, a wealthy former fashion director at Vogue and Tatler magazines, will be the only friend who will vouch for Maxwell in court, according to reports. A woman imprisoned with Maxwell at the capital’s detention center in Brooklyn sent a letter in support of the court, calling her “nice and real.”
Maxwell has been on suicide surveillance since Friday and failed to “properly prepare” for the hearing because prison officials suddenly put her in solitary confinement, her lawyers said, adding that their client was not actually suicidal.
Once accustomed to secular life, Maxwell complained about prison conditions and claimed that her life had been endangered during her nearly two-year stay there.
Federal prosecutors have denied the allegations and described her complaints about prison conditions as “outright lies” in court documents.
In their condemnatory note, the feds said Maxwell had played an “instrumental role in the horrific sexual abuse of many young teenagers” between 1994 and 2004.
Maxwell’s lawyers say she was used as a scapegoat for the government’s inability to prosecute Epstein, who committed suicide in a Manhattan prison cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sexual trafficking charges.
Sarah Ransom, Epstein’s former sex slave who tried to swim in shark-filled waters to escape his arms, said Maxwell deserved to die in prison.
“Today, Maxwell is the same woman I met almost 20 years ago – incapable of compassion or universal decency,” she said in a statement to the court. “Because of her wealth, social status and connections, she believes she is flawless and above the law.”
Prosecutors convinced the jury that Maxwell was an “advanced predator.” Reuters / Jane Rosenberg “Kate”, a former model, testified at the trial against Maxwell. Reuters / Jane Rosenberg Prosecutors have convinced jurors that Maxwell is an “advanced predator” who exploits vulnerable girls and prepares them to be abused by pedophile financier Epstein. Scott Rudd / Patrick McMullen via Getty Images An Oxford-educated heiress who was held in federal prison after her arrest in July 2020 was convicted in December of sexual trafficking and other crimes.SDNY via ZUMA Press Wire
Ransom’s statement also included nine images of her in hospital after two separate suicide attempts. She said she tried to take her own life after being used as a “sex toy” by Epstein, Maxwell and others.
I tell Gislain, “You broke me in inexplicable ways. But [what] you did not break my spirit, nor did you extinguish my inner flame, which now burns brighter than ever! “wrote Ransom.
Another Epstein prosecutor, Annie’s sister, Maria Farmer, said she was still afraid of Maxwell, whom she called “dangerous and insidious.”
“I never feel safe outside as a result of the trauma of being held captive… Her threats have never left my mind and I believe she will harm me if there is ever a way.”
Juliet Bryant, who said she was raped on Epstein’s private island three times a day, spoke clearly in a court statement, asking Maxwell to receive the maximum sentence.
“Simply put, Gislane Maxwell is a monster,” she wrote.
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