deserves to be ‘trapped in a cage forever’ and ‘must die in prison’, said victims of the 60-year-old convicted sex trafficker on the day of her sentencing.
Virginia Giuffre, who has accused Maxwell and the late Jeffrey Epstein of sex trafficking her to Prince Andrew, did not appear in court on Tuesday morning for the sentencing. But her lawyer Sigrid McCawley was set to read part of her victim impact statement for her.
‘Ghislaine, you deserve to spend the rest of your life in a jail cell,’ wrote Giuffre. ‘You deserve to be trapped in a cage forever, just like you trapped your victims.’
Giuffre continued in her statement: ‘Ghislaine, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, you used your femininity to betray us, and you led us all through it.
‘You could have put an end to the rapes, the molestations, the sickening manipulations that you arranged, witnessed and even took part in.
‘You could’ve called the authorities and reported that you were a part of something awful.’
Maxwell’s sentencing began around 11am at the Lower Manhattan courthouse. She faces up to 55 years in prison for her role in recruiting and trafficking underage girls for Epstein.
While Giuffre did not appear due to a medical issue, another victim, Annie Farmer, was pictured arriving in court that morning. Farmer wore a golden top, white blazer and red sunglasses. She did not comment to the press as she was swarmed by photographers.
In a statement filed to the judge, Farmer wrote: ‘I ask you to bear in mind how Maxwell’s unwillingness to acknowledge her crimes, her lack of remorse, and her repeated lies about her victims created the need for many of us to engage in a long fight for justice that has felt like a black hole sucking in our precious time, energy, and well being for much too long now.’
Farmer, one of four accusers who testified using her full name, said Maxwell molested her at Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico when she was a teenager.
Two more Maxwell accusers, Elizabeth Stein and Sarah Ransome, walked into the court holding hands. Ransome wore a blue short-sleeved dress with a red belt, while Stein wore a hot pink sleeveless dress with pearls.
‘Ghislaine must die in prison,’ Ransome said outside the courthouse. ‘I’ve been in hell and back for the past 17 years.’
In court, Ransome shared images of herself in a hospital after she tried to kill herself twice in agony of the sex abuse arranged by Maxwell.
‘I was nothing more than a sex toy with a heartbeat and soul used to entertain Epstein, Maxwell and others,’ Ransome said in her victim impact statement.
‘On one visit to the island, the sexual demands, degradation and humiliation ensued me to try to escape by jumping off a cliff into shark-infested waters. I was caught by Maxwell and company moments before jumping,’ Ransome stated.
‘At the time, that extremely risky escape seemed more appealing than being raped one more time.
‘Maxwell is today the same woman I met almost 20 years ago – incapable of compassion or common human decency. Sentencing her to the rest of her life in prison will not change her, but it will give survivors a slight sense of justice.’
Maxwell was seen in the courthouse and pictured wearing a blue long sleeve jumpsuit with a long sleeve undershirt in . She had a bob haircut and wore a mask.
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