Ghislaine Maxwell’s protection attorneys on Monday portrayed her as a scapegoat becoming accused simply because of “the lousy behavior of men,” — a single in unique — given that prosecutors never ever experienced a chance to set late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein on trial.
Her law firm, Bobbi Sternheim, invoked the Bible at the commence of her opening assertion, arguing that females have been condemned for crimes fully commited by men considering the fact that the beginning of time.
“Ever considering the fact that Eve was accused of tempting Adam with the apple,” reported Sternheim. “Women have been blamed for the terrible actions of men.”
“Ghislaine is on demo listed here and you read about the conduct of Jeffrey Epstein. She is filling that hole. And filling an empty chair,” claimed Sternheim, including that her customer was a “convenient stand-in” for the lifeless sex offender.
Sternheim also took purpose at the 4 alleged victims in the case, boasting they experienced been taken benefit of by intense civil protection attorneys and, in some circumstances, are browsing for a payday.
“Memory, manipulation and funds,” Sternheim repeatedly advised jurors would be raised by protection lawyers as they look for to sow doubt in the prosecution’s circumstance.
1 of the victims, Sternheim claimed, was not launched to Epstein by Maxwell, somewhat by a further accuser, Virginia Giuffre, and her promises by no means provided alleged crimes dedicated by Maxwell right up until after Epstein’s demise.
The motive her story switched, Sternheim explained, is mainly because she was searching for income from an Epstein victims’ fund — and turned around information and facts about Maxwell to prosecutors in an energy to bolster that assert.
“In a lot of regards, he was like a 21st Century James Bond,” Sternheim said about Epstein. “His secret has stirred curiosity. His accusers have shaken the funds tree and tens of millions of pounds have fallen their way.”
Protection attorneys will also poke holes in the prosecution by attempting to demonstrate two of the victims in the situation were earlier mentioned the age of consent when sexual get in touch with between them and Epstein took area, Sternheim reported.
One of the victims, Sternheim reported, only met Maxwell as soon as when she was 16 yrs old in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is higher than the age of consent in the condition.
A different one particular of the four victims was a girl who lived a “jetsetter” way of living prior to she satisfied Epstein and the moment dated a person additional than two times her age, who realized Maxwell from Oxford, Sternheim mentioned.
That sufferer, the legal professional ongoing, was above the age of consent in each and every location she met with Maxwell and Epstein.
Maxwell — who has been locked up since her July 2020 arrest — stands accused of helping Epstein to “recruit, groom and eventually abuse” women as youthful as 14, according to the indictment from her.
The six counts she faces — which includes sexual intercourse-trafficking of minors — stem from the allegations of four women of all ages who say they were abused by Epstein and Maxwell concerning 1994 and 2004 when they were being young adults.
Her demo in Manhattan federal court is established to resume on Tuesday early morning.
