British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell on Tuesday was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aiding convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in sexually abuse young teenage girls.
The 60-year-old was found guilty of five federal charges including sex trafficking a minor, recruiting, grooming and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and three related counts of conspiracy. Maxwell had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Although her lawyers had requested leniency for the convicted, judge Alison Nathan decided to hand a 20-year prison sentence, recommended by the US probation office.
During her sentencing hearing in Manhattan federal court and before learning the sentence, Maxwell described Epstein as a “manipulative, cunning and controlling man” who fooled everyone around him. She expressed she was “sorry” for the pain inflicted on his victims.
“It is the greatest regret of my life that I ever met Jeffrey Epstein,” Maxwell said.
Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?
Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell is a former British socialite, who was born in 1961 to a Czech-born newspaper tycoon and former British lawmaker Robert Maxwell. Maxwell had a close relationship with her father and was reportedly his favourite.
In the 80s, Ghislaine Maxwell became a prominent member of the London social scene and founded a women's club named after the original Kit-Cat Club.
She is notoriously known for her relationship with convicted sex offender and American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who she met in the early 1990s at a New York party, reports the Times.
Maxwell is also known for her long standing relationship with Prince Andrew, son of Queen Elizabeth II. In one of the infamous photographs of Prince Andrew, where he has his arms around the waist of a young girl named Virginia Roberts, Maxwell can be seen standing in the background.
Maxwell was found guilty on 5 of the 6 charges against her in a Manhattan court in December 2021.
How is she linked to Jeffrey Epstein?
Maxwell is the alleged ex-girlfriend of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died on August 10, 2019, awaiting trial on federal charges of sexually abusing young underage girls and being involved in sex trafficking.
Although the two are said to have separated in 1990, they had a close relationship with each other.
According to a US federal indictment unsealed last year, Maxwell "had a personal and professional relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and was among his closest associates."
"In particular, between in or about 1994 and in or about 1997, Maxwell was in an intimate relationship with Epstein and also was paid by Epstein to manage his various properties," it adds.
Why has she been sentenced to 20 years of prison?
Ghislaine Maxwell has been found guilty of five out of the six charges in her trial: sex trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and three counts of conspiracy.
Jurors did not find Maxwell guilty of one account i.e. enticement of an individual under the age of 17 to travel with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity.
The charges were made based on the testimony from four women who accused Maxwell of facilitating the sexual abuse.
Maxwell was sentenced with 20 years of prison.
What it means for the victims of sexual abuse and trafficking
Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking conviction and the prison sentence is a great leap of justice. While it will not compensate for the misery faced by the victims, it may bring a sense of healing.
In an interview with the BBC, Annie Farmer, the fourth victim to take the stand, shares how 'intimidated' she felt while walking into the courtroom.
"The 16-year-old she harmed had grown into a woman who was now able to use her voice to tell her story and tell the truth about what happened," she said.
For other victims of sexual abuse, this a great win, given that Maxwell came from a well-to-do family and had a powerful background. Still so, the fact that justice is served, it gives away a sense of hope and encourages young girls to speak their truth.
