Ghislaine Maxwell, 60, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for carrying out a devious scheme with Jeffrey Epstein to groom underage girls, who were sexually abused. The judge called her actions ‘heinous and predatory’
British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who gained global notoriety as the former girlfriend and social companion of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, completing her fall from grace.
The Associated Press reported that Maxwell, wearing a blue prison uniform and a white mask to conform with coronavirus rules, looked to one side as the sentence was announced, but otherwise did not react. She wore leg shackles that could be heard rattling when she walked into the courtroom.
The sentencing comes after a jury in December convicted the 60-year-old of sex trafficking, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts and two conspiracy charges.
“It is important to emphasize that although Epstein was central to this criminal scheme, Ms Maxwell is not being punished in place of Epstein or as a proxy for Epstein,” said the judge, as per an AFP report, after the sentence was read out.
Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?
Born to publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, Ghislaine Maxwell, 60, was born into material abundance. However, the BBC reports that her early years were marked with neglect.
Her mother, Betty, in her memoir, admitted that after Ghislaine’s brother’s accident, she was “hardly given a glance” by her parents.
Ghislaine worked hard to earn her parents’ attention and went to Marlborough College and Oxford University, where she studied modern history and languages.
After graduating, Maxwell’s father appointed her as a director at Oxford United, the football club he owned and chaired, and also set her up with her own company supplying corporate gifts.
However, the British tabloids described her as a “socialite” rather than a businesswoman and she regularly featured in the papers.
In January 1991, she moved to the United States and entered Manhattan’s social scene after her father acquired the New York Daily News.
However, her father’s death in November 1991 left her shaken. There were plaudits at the time for the way Ghislaine handled the family tragedy. “People who were there at the time (when Maxwell died), said she dealt with it brilliantly,” said Roy Greenslade, who worked for the media mogul as editor of The Daily Mirror in the early 1990s. “Dry-eyed, dealing well with the press.”
Following her father’s demise, she continued hobnobbing in exclusive circles and it has been reported that she was invited to former US first daughter Chelsea Clinton’s wedding.
A file image of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and US financier Jeffrey Epstein. Prosecutors in the case argued that Maxwell sought out and groomed victims for Epstein. US District Court for the Southern District of New York/AFP
Maxwell’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein
Ghislaine met Jeffrey Epstein and two were in an intimate relationship till the ’90s. Even after their split, the two remained close, with Epstein describing her as his best friend in a 2003 Vanity Fair profile.
According to multiple people in affluent Manhattan circles, including two of her friends, Maxwell introduced Epstein to many of the social figures in his life, CNN reports.
During the trial of Jeffrey Epstein, her close ties with the former financier came to light. Former employees at the Epstein mansion in Florida’s Palm Beach described her as the house manager who supervised staff, looked after finances and acted as a social co-ordinator. Additionally, a housekeeper testified that Maxwell gave staff a 58-page instruction manual and ordered them to speak only when spoken to, avoiding eye contact with Epstein.
Prosecutors in the case argued that Maxwell sought out and groomed victims for Epstein. They said that her actions normalising sexual massages were crucial to his international abuse scheme at his properties.
One of the accusers in the case testified that when she was 14, Maxwell touched her breasts, hips and buttocks and told her she “had a great body for Epstein and his friends”. Another testified that Maxwell invited her over and directed her how to give Epstein a sexual massage and said Maxwell spoke often of sexual topics with her and asked her to invite other young girls for Epstein’s sexual desires.
In November 2019, the scandal caught up with Prince Andrew, the younger son of Queen Elizabeth II, who faced renewed scrutiny over allegations of having sex with a minor, and for his ties with Epstein, after which Andrew stepped away from his royal duties.
AFP reports that Maxwell expressed sympathy for the victims during a statement in court, saying she was “sorry for the pain that you experienced” but blamed Epstein.
“I believe that Jeffrey Epstein was a manipulative, cunning and controlling man who lived a profoundly compartmentalised life and fooled all of those in his orbit,” she said.
Annie Farmer, center, one of the four accusers who testified against Ghislaine Maxwell at trial, speaks to members of the media outside federal court in New York. Maxwell was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison. AP
What Maxwell’s sentencing means for survivors
The BBC reports that for the survivors of the sexual abuse, this is a vindication and a significant step towards justice and healing.
One of the survivors said it is never too late for accountability once the verdict was out and said it was victory for her and the group of women who have spent years seeking justice.
“May this sentence demonstrate that it is never too late for the truth to come out and never too late for accountability. If you’re someone who faced sexual abuse or exploitation and did not feel safe to report those crimes or were not believed when you did, or were told the perpetrators would not be held accountable, this is for you,” Annie Farmer, the only survivor to use her full name, told the reporters outside the federal court in Manhattan.
With inputs from agencies
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