AFP
This undated trial evidence image obtained on December 8 from the US District Court for the Southern District of New York shows British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Ghislaine Maxwell was foundguilty by a US jury on Wednesday of helping the late financierJeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls, sealing aremarkable fall from grace for the British socialite.
Maxwell, 60, was accused of recruiting and grooming four teenagers between 1994 and 2004 for Epstein, her formerboyfriend, who killed himself in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cellwhile awaiting trial on sex abuse charges of his own.
She was convicted on five of six counts, including one countof sex trafficking. Lawyers for Maxwell, who faces up to 65years in prison, vowed to appeal.
Maxwell's trial was widely seen as the reckoning Epsteinnever had and one of the highest-profile cases.
During the month-long trial, jurors heard emotional andexplicit testimony from four women who portrayed Maxwell ascentral to their abuse by Epstein. Three of the four saidMaxwell herself touched their bare breasts or took part in theencounters, which often began as massages.
Maxwell's attorneys sought to undermine the women'scredibility, arguing that they were motivated by money toimplicate Maxwell since all four had received million-dollarawards from a compensation fund for Epstein's victims.
But the women disputed those characterizations, saying theydecided to testify out of a desire for justice, not money.
After the verdict was read, Maxwell, wearing a burgundyturtleneck, poured herself a glass of water. Defense attorneyJeffrey Pagliuca patted her upper back. An expressionlessMaxwell looked briefly at two of her siblings seated in thefront row as she left the courtroom.
Annie Farmer, one of the women who testified againstMaxwell, said: "I am so relieved and grateful that the juryrecognized the pattern of predatory behavior that Maxwellengaged in for years and found her guilty of these crimes."
Maxwell's lawyer, Bobbi Sternheim, told reporters thedefense was disappointed with the verdict.
Maxwell will return to Brooklyn's Metropolitan DetentionCenter, where she has been held in isolation since July2020. Maxwell has voiced concerns about her treatment at thejail, asserting that guards have disrupted her sleep at nightand that the stench of raw sewage has permeated her cell.
During the trial, prosecutors showed jurors bank recordsindicating Epstein paid Maxwell millions of dollars over theyears. They said Maxwell was motivated to do whatever it took tokeep Epstein happy in order to maintain her luxurious lifestyle.
Maxwell's attorneys argued prosecutors were scapegoating herbecause Epstein was no longer alive.
"Epstein's death left a gaping hole in the pursuit ofjustice for many of these women," Sternheim said. "She's fillingthat hole, and filling that empty chair."
原文地址：http://english.sina.com/world/2021-12-30/detail-ikyakumx7311521.shtml