The trial of Ghislaine Maxwell has been adjourned for the day after an attorney on the case fell ill. Judge Alison Nathan said there was no reason to believe it was Covid-related. Proceedings are expected to resume on Friday.
Included in the latest release of evidence from the socialite’s sex-trafficking trial was an image of Jeffrey Epstein and Ms Maxwell sitting together at the Queen’s Balmoral estate. The photo is thought to have been taken in 1999 and shows the pair sitting on a bench on the deck of a log cabin in the highlands of Scotland.
Ms Maxwell is accused of grooming teenage girls for her convicted sex offender partner from the 1990s onwards. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Her defence team said that she is being made the “scapegoat” for Epstein’s deeds.
However, her accusers have testified that she was instrumental in the late financier’s crimes and even participated. Annie Farmer, the fourth accuser from the indictment against Ms Maxwell, was expected to testify today. She is the only victim using her real name.
The prosecution reiterated on Wednesday that they intend to rest their case this week, wrapping up arguments from their side in a trial that was expected to last five to six weeks. This has reportedly caught the defence team off guard as they try to ‘hustle’ witnesses to testify.
