Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have shed further light on how Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend and co-conspirator, manipulated victims. Maxwell, convicted in 2021 of sex-trafficking, employed a combination of feigned friendliness and cold detachment to control those around her, according to accusers' accounts included in the files.
One woman told investigators in 2019 that Maxwell treated her 'like they were sisters' and 'like naughty schoolgirls'. However, after Epstein began abusing her, Maxwell would minimise the situation, saying things like 'Don't be silly'. The victim stated: 'By the time they get to the sex acts, you have no fight left; they've demoralized you.'
Maxwell also asked victims to recruit other girls for Epstein, allegedly saying 'They have to look young at least' and assuming 'that young meant younger than herself'. Another accuser described Maxwell as 'a manipulator who acts sweet' but noted her 'dark side'. The victim felt Maxwell was 'just as responsible as Epstein' for the abuse.
One woman, interviewed after Maxwell's arrest, said she was 'still very afraid' of her, describing Maxwell as 'vicious' and noting that she 'did not like women very much'. The accuser recalled Maxwell teaching her how to 'pleasure Epstein correctly' on his private island, with Epstein telling the girls: 'You girls listen to Ghislaine; she knows what she's doing.'
The documents also reveal that Maxwell, now serving a 20-year prison sentence, has continued to fight her conviction and has remained a public relations issue for President Donald Trump. She was transferred to a minimum-security prison after an interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, during which she downplayed Trump's former friendship with Epstein.
