(New York) The former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, tried in New York for sex trafficking, spoke for the first time on Friday at her trial, saying that the prosecution had not provided proof of her guilt.
“Your honor, the government has not provided evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, so I do not need to testify,” said Mr.me Maxwell, accused of having provided from 1994 to 2004 to his former companion and collaborator Jeffrey Epstein – American financier who died in prison in 2019 – young underage girls so that he could exploit them sexually.
Manhattan federal court has been hearing witnesses called by Ms. Maxwell’s defense since Thursday and the proceedings should be concluded Friday evening, prosecutor Maurene Comey said.
For two days, the accused’s lawyers have dragged out the hearings to try to convince the jury of the innocence of their client, an intimate of Jeffrey Epstein, a financier who committed suicide in his cell in New York in the summer 2019 even before being tried for sex crimes.
The defense wanted to call 35 witnesses, but ultimately only called nine.
Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, – British, American and French and daughter of press mogul Robert Maxwell – is accused of being a “tout” for Epstein and has been detained in New York since the summer of 2020.
She pleads not guilty to all counts for which she faces life imprisonment.