British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell arrives at Epsom Racecourse IN 1991. Photo / AP
British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell arrives at Epsom Racecourse IN 1991. Photo / AP
Newly unsealed court documents provide a fresh glimpse into allegations of underage sex and "constant" orgies on Jeffrey Epstein's private island as well as a fierce civil court fight between Epstein's ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, and one of the women who accused the couple of sexual abuse.
The documents released Thursdaywere from a now-settled defamation lawsuit filed by one of Epstein's alleged victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Giuffre claimed in the suit and other litigation that Maxwell recruited her in 2000 to be a sexual servant to Epstein. She said the couple subsequently pressured her into having sex with numerous rich or notable men, including Britain's Prince Andrew, US politicians, wealthy entrepreneurs, a famous scientist and fashion designer.
Giuffre, centre, said she travelled to Europe with Ghislaine Maxwell, right, and Jeffrey Epstein on several occasions and was trafficked to rich and powerful men, including Prince Andrew, left.
Maxwell, and all of the accused men, have denied those allegations for years.
The girls, she said, spoke in a European language she thought was either Russian or Czechoslovakian.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a sexual assault victim, speaks during a press conference outside a Manhattan court in New York. Photo / AP
"Ghislaine, myself, Jeffrey, another girl in this blue, outdoor — I don't know what you want to call it. Cabana, that … just a bed could fit in," she added.
"The island was a place where orgies were a constant thing that took place. And again, it's impossible to know how many," Giuffre said.
Giuffre added that she travelled to Europe with the pair on several occasions and was trafficked to rich and powerful men, including Prince Andrew and high-powered attorney Alan Dershowitz.
'You have done nothing wrong'
Also among the newly released documents were emails Maxwell and Epstein exchanged in January 2015, when Giuffre's allegations were getting a new round of media attention.
The Ghislaine Maxwell (Epstein) documents have been unsealed.
Will be posting excerpts here -
Starting with allegations of minor being trafficked to Maxwell, Prince Andrew, and Alan Dershowitz (as prev. alleged).
One email, sent from Epstein's email address but written in Maxwell's voice, appeared to be a draft a statement or set of talking points for Maxwell to use in defending herself. It said she had been the target of "false allegations of impropriety and offensive behaviour that I abhor and have never ever been party to."
Responding to a Maxwell email a few days later, Epstein wrote: "You have done nothing wrong and I (would) urge you to start acting like it." He suggested she go outside and hold her head high, "not as an (escaping) convict."
One of the documents unsealed by the court.
The email exchange appears to confirm Maxwell lied in her bid for bail, during which she claimed she hadn't spoken to Epstein in over a decade.
Epstein killed himself last year while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was recently arrested on federal charges that she recruited at least three girls, including one as young as 14, for Epstein to sexually abuse in the 1990s. Prosecutors said she also joined in the abuse.
Many of the documents unsealed by the court Thursday had been available publicly before.
They included a deposition in which Giuffre described the alleged abuse, and also answered questions about errors she'd made previously in telling her story, including originally telling a court she was 15 when she met Epstein, when records showed she was at least a year older.
Jeffrey Epstein appears in court in West Palm Beach in 2008. Photo / AP
Giuffre over the years has told her story to the FBI, but no charges were brought based on her allegations and she is not one of the three alleged victims in the current criminal case against Maxwell.
Two documents that were not released as scheduled Thursday were depositions Maxwell gave in the civil lawsuit in 2016.
Maxwell, driven by Prince Andrew leaves the wedding of a former girlfriend of the prince, Aurelia Cecil, in 2000. Photo / AP
US District Judge Loretta A. Preska had ordered them released, but Maxwel's lawyers appealed her ruling to the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals.
Her lawyers said they should be blocked since she now faces criminal charges.
Where to get help:
• If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. • If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone call the confidential crisis helpline Safe to Talk on: 0800 044 334 or text 4334. • Alternatively contact your local police station • If you have been abused, remember it's not your fault.
