Six months after being found guilty of sex crimes, the sentence in the trial against Epstein confidant Ghislaine Maxwell was announced: a New York court sentenced her to 20 years in prison on Tuesday.
The 60-year-old was found guilty in December by a jury in New York, among other things, of “sexual human trafficking with minors”. The Briton was considered the right-hand man of businessman and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and played a central role in building a child abuse ring. This is said to have taken place for decades at Epstein’s estates in New York, Florida, Santa Fe and the Virgin Islands.
The case was also followed by a wide public because the entrepreneur was known to celebrities such as ex-Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, billionaire Bill Gates and British Prince Andrew. A previous charge against him resulted in an advantageous deal. By doing so, Epstein has become a symbol of a social elite that gets away with crime.
Epstein killed himself in his prison cell in the summer of 2019. After his death, investigations focused on Maxwell. The accusation: She introduced the young women to Epstein. She persuaded her to massage Epstein. This often ended with Epstein letting the women, some of whom were still minors, sexually satisfy him. Sometimes she, Maxwell, was there, witnesses said.
The daughter of the legendary British publisher Robert Maxwell (1923-1991) came to New York in the early 1990s. There she met Epstein at celebrity parties and was temporarily in a relationship with him, later she was considered a mixture of employee and best friend. Maxwell was arrested two years ago at a property in New Hampshire and has been in custody in New York ever since. The prosecution argued that Maxwell was a person who not only supported Epstein but was his ally in all the crimes. She also did this to maintain her own life of luxury.