Ghislaine Maxwell’s family ‘shocked and troubled’ by decision to deny retrial

Maxwell faces up to 65 years in prison when she is sentenced in June

The family of Ghislaine Maxwell say they are “shocked and troubled” by the decision to deny her a retrial.

The family say they are focused on appealing Maxwell’s conviction on five counts of sex-trafficking and are “optimistic” about her chances of success.

Judge Alison Nathan last week denied Maxwell’s bid for a retrial on the grounds that the juror known as Scotty David was found to have incorrectly filled out a pre-trial questionnaire.

“Our family is profoundly shocked and troubled by the denial of a retrial for our sister, Ghislaine Maxwell,” Maxwell family members said in the statement.

The family said Scotty David’s interview with several media outlets includingThe Independent that he had been sexually abused as a child would form a key basis of their appeal to the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan.

“The court’s ruling in this matter is as tainted as the original verdict is unsafe.”

In a decision released last Friday, Judge Alison Nathan said “Juror 50” had not deliberately misled the court during the jury selection process.

“His failure to disclose his prior sexual abuse during the jury selection process was highly unfortunate, but not deliberate,” Judge Nathan wrote.

“The court further concludes that Juror 50 harboured no bias toward the defendant and could serve as a fair and impartial juror.”

During a five-week trial late last year, four women testified they were sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell at his homes in New York, Palm Beach and New Mexico.

Prosecutors said Maxwell would act as the trusting, sisterly older female figure and lure them into Epstein’s orbit.

Maxwell enabled Epstein in his abuse and also participated in it on some occasions, they said, calling the former couple “partners in crime” in a “pyramid scheme of abuse”.

Maxwell, who is due to be sentenced in June, faces up to 65 years in prison.

Epstein died in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking offences. His death was ruled suicide by the medical examiner.