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Ghislaine Maxwell mocked by lawyers for 'near-total amnesia' about 23 flights she took with Virginia Giuffre on Epstein's private jet

Jul 18, 2021, 21:31 IST
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Ghislaine Maxwell is facing charges relating to the sex trafficking of underage girls. John Minchillo/AP

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  • 52 court documents about Maxwell's case were unsealed by a New York judge.
  • Lawyers expressed amazement at Ghislaine Maxwell's "extraordinary lack of memory" about incriminating events.
  • Maxwell faces charges relating to the sex trafficking of underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein.

Ghislaine Maxwell was mocked by lawyers for her "near-total amnesia" about flights she took with Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, according to newly unsealed court documents.

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The documents show that Giuffre's lawyers said Maxwell had an "extraordinary lack of memory about her involvement in the abuse."

"For instance, (Maxwell) cannot even recall a single flight on Epstein's private jet with Ms Giuffre, even though flight logs show that (Maxwell) had 23 flights with Ms Giuffre while Ms Giuffre was underage," Giuffre's lawyers said in the papers.

"Based on her convenient and near-total amnesia about documented incriminating events alone, a reasonable jury could find that she acted deliberately and maliciously when she arranged for false and defamatory statements about Ms. Giuffre to be transmitted literally around the globe," the attorneys said.

The court documents were among 52 files unsealed overnight on Thursday by New York Judge Loretta Preska.

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Maxwell lost her battle to keep the documents sealed, with Judge Preska last month ruling that the files should be made public and that it would not impede her right to a fair trial.

The majority of the unsealed documents relate to a defamation lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre and also include flight logs and witness depositions.

Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in July 2020 on charges related to grooming and sexually abusing young girls for wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein in the late 1990s.

Maxwell and Epstein had a romantic relationship at one time, but remained close long after it ended, with Maxwell often being described as his "madam" for her active role in recruiting young girls for him to sexually abuse.

According to The New York Times, a friend of the two described Maxwell as Epstein's "half ex-girlfriend, half employee, half best friend, and fixer."

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The newly unsealed court documents also include a trove of hand-written messages left for Epstein about phone calls he had missed. One note refers to Ghislaine Maxwell training new staff.

A note for Jeffrey Epstein discusses Ghislaine Maxwell training new staff. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Virginia Giuffre has previously alleged that Maxwell trained her to give Epstein erotic massages when she was just 16, and the word "massage" became code for "sex".

In the newly unsealed court documents Virginia Giuffre's lawyers also questioned why Maxwell could not recall the circumstances under which a photo was taken of her, Giuffre and another person whose name was redacted.

Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre, then known as Virginia Roberts, along with Ghislaine Maxwell. Florida Southern District Court

The documents also show Maxwell's attempts to prevent Giuffre's lawyers from obtaining her financial records.

In response to the news that the documents were being unsealed, Giuffre tweeted, "Finally we are getting some transparency. There is hope. We must maintain vigilant in order for the truth to see the light of day."

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Maxwell faces charges relating to the enticement of minors and sex trafficking of underage girls, and one perjury charge for allegedly lying about her relationship with Epstein in a deposition.

If convicted, she could face up to 35 years in prison. Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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