Jeffrey Epstein’s wife, Ghislaine Maxwell, finally got her day at court. The judge sentenced her to 20 years in a US prison. She was accused of aiding her husband, the former financier Jeffrey Epstein to abuse minors. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted back in December for trafficking and recruiting four underage teenagers. She recruited these girls to be sexually abused by her then-boyfriend, Jeffrey Epstein. One of the accusers was outside the court and stated that she hopes that she spends the rest of her life in prison. As for her husband, he committed suicide in his jail cell in Manhattan in 2019 while he was awaiting his own trial for sex trafficking. The case against Ghislaine has to be one of the highest-profile cases since the appearance of the #MeToo movement. It was a movement that encouraged women to talk and speak about sexual abuse.
Judge Alison J Nathan Announces the Verdict on Ghislaine Maxwell
The crimes of Ghislaine happened across ten years, from 1994 to 2004. Judge Alison J Nathan pronounced the sentence on the accused. She said that the crimes she committed were predatory and heinous. She added that Ms. Maxwell was working with Epstein and helped him select the young victims and recruit them. She chose those who were vulnerable and, therefore, played a substantial role in sexual abuse facilitation. The judge clarified that such a case needed a very substantial sentence. She wanted to send a message to everyone that such crimes would get their punishment. Therefore, the sentence did not only include jail time but also included a fine of US$750,000.
What Did Ghislaine Maxwell Have to Say for the Victims?
During the trials, her lawyers argued for a sentence of fewer than five years. Ghislaine Maxwell, on the other hand, looked straight ahead and did not show any emotions as the judge gave her the sentencing in front of a full public gallery. Earlier, Ghislaine Maxwell had a few words for her victims. She said that she really empathized with them and hoped that the prison sentence would give the victims some finality and peace. She has been in custody because of these charges since July of 2020. Maxwell spent most of that time at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
The shocking part came when the accused stood up and addressed the victims directly. She stated that she is terribly sorry for all the pain they had to go through and experience. She said that she hoped they would look to the future instead of looking back after this. The shocking part came when she said that Epstein was cunning and a manipulative man. He was able to fool everyone around him. Ghislaine also added that it is pretty hard for her to address the anguish and the pain. However, she wanted to acknowledge the suffering and said that she sympathized with her victims. She concluded by saying that associating herself with Epstein was her life’s biggest mistake and regret.
The Judge Comments on Ghislaine Maxwell’s Statement
Before announcing the sentence, the judge commented on Maxwell’s statement. She stated that what the statement did not include any expression or admission of responsibility. The victims got really emotional as they expressed the anguish and pain that Maxwell caused them. As they were reading their statements, Maxwell was not looking at them and preferred to look away.
The judge gave the four women to talk during the hearing on Tuesday. She also allowed the lawyer of Virginia Guiffre to read her statement. The first victim to speak was Annie Farmer. She was the only one who gave evidence under her actual full name. Annie Farmer had to pause in the middle so she can get a hold of her emotions and managed to continue reading her statement till the end.
