India
A US appeals court has denied Ghislaine Maxwell’s request to have her conviction for sex trafficking reconsidered, effectively upholding her 2021 sentence. Maxwell, a former associate of financier Jeffrey Epstein, was convicted for recruiting and grooming young girls for sex, a scandal that garnered significant media attention due to her ties to powerful figures.
Maxwell, 62, had appealed her conviction, arguing that her trial was flawed, citing various legal and procedural issues. However, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled that Maxwell’s arguments were insufficient to warrant a new trial. Her defence team had previously claimed that she did not receive a fair trial, suggesting that prejudicial pretrial publicity and errors in jury selection contributed to the outcome.
The court’s decision to reject Maxwell’s appeal is a major blow to her legal efforts, as she now faces the prospect of serving out her 20-year prison sentence. The conviction stems from charges related to her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, which targeted underage girls and was exposed after Epstein’s arrest in 2019. Epstein died in custody under controversial circumstances, but Maxwell’s trial drew attention to the broader issue of sexual exploitation and abuse within the elite circles that Epstein once moved in.
Maxwell’s case has been a focal point in discussions about accountability for sex trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, and her conviction has been seen as an important step in bringing justice to Epstein’s victims.
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