[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Well, at least there’s a tiny modicum of justice for the many victims of Jeffrey Epstein today… but is it enough??
On Tuesday Ghislaine Maxwell, the infamous billionaire pedophile’s sometime paramour and right-hand woman, was sentenced to prison for her part in his underage sex trafficking ring. She was found guilty back in December on five very serious sex trafficking charges — and could have been given up to 65 years in prison!
How much hard time did she actually get? 20 YEARS.
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It’s no small amount of time, but when you consider crimes like sex trafficking of minors and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, you can understand why it’s less than a lot of folks wanted.
The crowd looking for a harsh sentence included some of Epstein and Maxwell’s victims — many of whom appeared in court to watch. In victim statements, some described in detail what was done to them as young women — and its lasting impact on their mental health. Sarah Ransome described a “dungeon of sexual hell,” saying:
“I was nothing more than a sex toy with a heartbeat and soul used to entertain Epstein, Maxwell and others.”
She revealed she’d attempted suicide twice after what she went through. Elizabeth Stein said she’d had to get an abortion after being raped “countless times.”
Prosecutors also were hoping for more as well, asking the judge for at least 30 years due to her “utter lack of remorse.” A victim only known as Kate agreed, saying Maxwell’s “lack of remorse and her blatant refusal to take responsibility is her final insult”:
“She is not sorry and she will do it again.”
Maxwell, who has always denied any wrongdoing, asked for only four years — arguing that she wasn’t a danger to the public. The convict herself addressed the court, saying she was “fooled” by Epstein:
“I realize I have been convicted of assisting Jeffrey Epstein to commit these crimes. My association with Epstein will permanently stain me. It is the biggest regret of my life that I ever met him.”
In the end Judge Alison Nathan opted for a lesser sentence — though much more than four years at least. But how much of that 20 years will she actually serve? We’ll have to see.
What do YOU think of the sentencing??
[Image via Michael Carpenter/DOJ/MEGA/WENN.]
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