Gislein Maxwell: She will not testify in her trafficking case

The former British secular, Gislein Maxwell, tried in New York for human trafficking, announced that he was not going to testify and that the prosecuting authorities did not present sufficient evidence for her guilt for the offenses committed by her ex-partner, the American stockbroker Jeffrey Epstein.

“Madam President, the government has not presented any evidence beyond any doubt, so there is no need for me to testify.” said Maxwell, 59, addressing Manhattan Federal Court Judge Allison Nathan.

Maxwell, who holds British, American and French citizenship, is the daughter of press tycoon Robert Maxwell. He is accused of promoting Epstein to sexually exploiting minor girls from 1994 to 2004.. She was arrested and held in New York since the summer of 2020, a year after the suicide of her ex-partner in prison.

At her trial, which began on November 29 and is expected to last until January, pleaded not guilty to all charges against her. If convicted, she risks life imprisonment.

Following Maxwell’s statement, one of her lawyers, Bobby Sternheim, told the court that the defense ended with the summoning of witnesses. Her lawyers have spent the last two days trying to present as many witnesses as possible in the hope that they would prove that their client played no role in Epstein’s crimes. But in the end, instead of the expected 35, they only called nine.

The speeches of the prosecutors and the defense lawyers are expected to start on Monday and then the jurors will retire to begin their consultations.

Earlier today, The defense called Eva Anderson-Debin, a 60-year-old doctor, former Miss Sweden and wife of American millionaire Glen Debin, as witnesses.. The witness, who was a friend of Epstein, testified that he had gone on holiday several times to his home in Palm Beach and never noticed any inappropriate behavior with minors.

Four women testified at the trial: Jane, Kate, Caroline and Annie Farmer, 42, the only one who did not use a pseudonym., for the sexual relations they say they had to have with Epstein, often before Maxwell, when they were still minors.

The defense’s main argument is that Maxwell was indicted solely because the real culprit, Jeffrey Epstein, committed suicide at the age of 66.

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