Jury seeks transcripts of accusers’ claims at Ghislaine Maxwell trial
21 December 2021, 16:24
The British socialite is accused of assisting Jeffrey Epstein in the sexual abuse of teenage girls from 1994 to 2004
The jury deliberating in Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial have asked to review evidence from three of four women who said the British socialite aided financier Jeffrey Epstein in the sexual abuse they experienced when they were teenagers.
The jury in Manhattan federal court requested the transcripts less than an hour after resuming deliberations in a large room where they could spread out for coronavirus safety reasons.
They started deliberations late on Monday after closing arguments took up most of the day, but worked less than an hour before going home.
They are deciding whether Maxwell, 59, assisted her former financier boyfriend in the sexual abuse of teenage girls from 1994 to 2004.
Prosecutors say she recruited and groomed the girls, making them feel that sexualised massages of Epstein were normal behaviour.
Maxwell’s lawyers say the government has used her as a scapegoat after Epstein killed himself in 2019 as he awaited a sex-trafficking trial of his own.
The transcripts requested by the jury pertain to two women who gave evidence anonymously as Jane and Carolyn, along with the evidence of Annie Farmer, who identified herself by name and has spoken publicly about her experiences with Maxwell and Epstein.
Maxwell has been held without bail since her arrest in July 2019.
