Ghislaine Maxwell is preparing to hand over what she claims is “material new evidence” to US prosecutors this week, in a move that could shake up the long-running saga surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell, now 63 and serving a 20-year sentence for her role in recruiting girls and young women for Epstein to abuse, never testified during her own 2021 trial. But according to her brother Ian Maxwell, she is now ready to present crucial new information to federal officials, information she says could have changed the outcome of her conviction. “She will be putting before that court material new evidence that was not available to the defense at her 2021 trial, which would have had a significant impact on its outcome,” Ian told the New York Post in an email. Maxwell remains one of the last key figures alive with insider knowledge of Epstein’s operations, from his high-profile social network to his private holdings, including his infamous island in the US Virgin Islands. Court records suggest she played a central role in managing Epstein’s estate and coordinating his globe-trotting schedule, including allegedly sourcing girls for him and his powerful associates. Victims and legal experts alike remain wary of her intentions. Teresa Helm, a survivor turned advocate who says she was recruited by Maxwell in 2002 and later assaulted by Epstein, said, “She was crafty, successful and very articulate, and I think she’s just going to make a deal to get released.” Helm, who now works at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation in Washington DC, added, “I can’t imagine that we are going to have to deal with another sweetheart deal that results in Ghislaine Maxwell getting released from prison.”“That would be tragic for all the women who survived,” she further added. Maxwell’s critics accuse her of manipulating legal proceedings to reduce her sentence. During a 2016 civil case deposition, she was ridiculed for evasive answers, including asking lawyers to “define a sex toy” when questioned on her knowledge of Epstein’s behaviour. One of the most prominent voices to accuse Maxwell was Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April. Giuffre had long alleged that Maxwell and Epstein trafficked her to a host of influential men, including Britain’s Prince Andrew, an accusation he has repeatedly denied. “[Ghislaine] was vicious. She was evil. Put it this way, Epstein was Pinocchio and she was Geppetto. She was the guy controlling the strings,” Giuffre once said. Maxwell’s legal team continues to argue that she was unfairly targeted following Epstein’s 2019 jailhouse death and should have been shielded under the controversial 2007 plea deal Epstein struck with US authorities. That deal, widely condemned at the time, allowed Epstein to serve just 13 months, much of it on day release, despite evidence of dozens of underage victims.
