The trial of Ghislaine Maxwell is coming to an end. The alleged accomplice of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein does not testify – now the case goes to the jury.
New York – In the trial against Ghislaine Maxwell in New York, both sides will present their closing arguments from Monday morning (December 20, 2021, local time). Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime confidante pleads not guilty on six counts. Among other things, Maxwell is said to have engaged in sex trafficking with minors.
The prosecution’s closing argument will take two to three hours, as announced on Friday. The closing argument of the other side is no longer 45 minutes, according to Maxwell’s lawyer: inside. The jury will then be given two days to deliberate – possibly longer, but not until next week after the Christmas break. If Ghislaine Maxwell is found guilty on all six counts, she faces up to 70 years in prison.
Ghislaine Maxwell: Closing arguments in the trial against Epstein confidants
At the beginning of the trial, the prosecution presented the allegations against Ghislaine Maxwell. Accordingly, she and Jeffrey Epstein lured underage girls into their “pyramid scheme of abuse” with gifts of money. Four main witnesses have testified in recent weeks – they are all said to have been sexually abused by Epstein when they were under 18. Some of them claim that the British woman also went through it herself and touched her naked body. In addition, photos show how close Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were – an important aspect for the case.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s defense, however, claims that she would be used as a scapegoat for Epstein’s criminal machinations. All allegations are denied. MaxweIl rejects any responsibility. Overall, less stuff was questioned inside than planned. Originally, the process should have taken about six weeks, not just two.
In addition to the prosecutors, the lawyers also interviewed Eva Andersson-Dubin, who was temporarily with Jeffrey Epstein from 1983 to 1991. She continued to be friends with him until the 2000s. “Jane,” one of the plaintiffs, had previously testified that she remembered a woman named Eva who participated in sexual massages with Epstein and Maxwell. Andersson-Dubin testified that she was “under no circumstances” involved in such activities with “Jane”. However, it’s possible that she isn’t the only Eva who had anything to do with Epstein.
Trial against Ghislaine Maxwell: Eptein confidante refused to testify
Part of the plea in Maxwell’s defense was to undermine the credibility of the allegations. A psychologist and professor from the University of California Irvine was called into the process. When people are exposed to misinformation after the facts, they can put that into their memory, making the memory so skewed and inaccurate, said Dr. Elizabeth Loftus. According to this, even traumatic experiences after the event could be influenced and change the memories.
Maxwell refused to testify on Friday. When Judge Alison Nathan asked her if she knew her rights, Maxwell said, “Your Honor, the government has not been able to prove your case beyond reasonable doubt. So there is no need for me to testify. ”The jury was absent that day.
Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in July 2020. Despite multiple requests, she was not released on bail. Jeffrey Epstein reportedly committed suicide in custody about a year earlier while awaiting trial. However, the official presentation by the authorities is controversial. (Lukas Rogalla)
