Reportedly, the 59-year-old British socialite—Ghislaine Maxwell—targeted young girls before serving them up for sexual assault. Maxwell's trial got underway after a slow start on Monday, where she was accused of being Epstein's ‘partner in crime.’ In her opening statement in the British socialite's New York trial, a US prosecutor stated—that Maxwell and Epstein together made the sexual assault of adolescent girls seem natural and casual.
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Twelve jurors and six alternates were sworn in to hear the case, which is expected to take six weeks and have four victims testifying. If found guilty on all counts, Maxwell could face an 80-year sentence.
Maxwell was ‘essential’
US prosecutor Lara Pomerantz claimed in her opening remarks that Maxwell targeted young females for sexual abuse by Epstein. To undermine Maxwell's claim that she was unaware of Epstein's alleged misdeeds, she described Maxwell as ‘essential’ to Epstein's exploitation of the girls. The juror told the court:
She preyed on vulnerable young girls, manipulated them, and served them up to be sexually abused. Sometimes, she was even in the room for the massages herself, and sometimes she touched the girls' bodies.
And even when she was not in the room, make no mistake: she knew exactly what Epstein was going to do with those children when she sent them to him inside the massage rooms.
She was in on it from the start. The defendant and Epstein lured their victims with a promise of a bright future, only to sexually exploit them.
According to a 2021 indictment, Maxwell was not only Epstein's former employee but also his lover. She won the girls' trust by taking them to the movies, mailing them presents such as lingerie, and discussing sexual themes.
Maxwell is a ‘scapegoat’
While Pomerantz made strong allegations, Maxwell’s lawyer was no less in defending her client. According to Bobbi Sternheim, Maxwell was nothing like Jeffrey Epstein and, he was the ‘proverbial elephant in the room.’ She stated:
Ever since Eve has been blamed for tempting Adam with an apple, women have been blamed for things men have done.
Yes, Jeffrey Epstein manipulated the world around him and the people around him, including Ghislaine. Ghislaine Maxwell is on trial as a scapegoat for Epstein.
Sternheim stated the four alleged victims of Epstein had received multimillion-dollar payouts from a settlement fund established by his estate, and also changed their narrative several times over the years. She claimed that Maxwell is on trial because British Media was unable to convict Epstein. Maxwell is also accused of perjury on two counts, which will be tried separately. She has pleaded not guilty to all the counts levelled against her.
