Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case shed further light on the psychological manipulation techniques used by his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, to draw vulnerable teenage girls into his abusive orbit. The records, which include grand jury testimony from her 2021 Manhattan federal court case, emerge as Maxwell seeks a reprieve from her 20-year sex-trafficking sentence. Her transfer to a minimum-security prison camp has drawn renewed attention during Donald Trump’s second presidency.
One document recounts a law enforcement officer’s testimony to a grand jury in 2020. The officer described an interview with a woman who said she was abused by Epstein as a minor. She recalled her initial visits to Epstein’s home as “strange,” but said Maxwell “normalized it for her.” The woman described Maxwell as “like a cool, older sister” who made comments such as “This is what grownups do.” She also saw Maxwell topless by the pool, finding it startling but noting Maxwell “just acted normal.”
When the abuse began, Maxwell was sometimes present. According to the officer, the woman said Maxwell would grab the girls’ breasts and “direct the girls on what to do.” The victim tried to avoid eye contact with Maxwell because “she gave off that sister-vibe, so it felt weird.” Maxwell’s casual attitude made the victim feel more comfortable, the officer noted. Over time, the victim came to believe Epstein and Maxwell loved her and treated her like family, leaving her feeling indebted and grateful.
The testimony aligns with accounts from Maxwell’s trial, where a woman known as “Jane” described abuse starting at age 14, with Maxwell sometimes in the room. Jane said Maxwell touched her breasts and described group encounters. Another redacted victim’s account mirrors that of Annie Farmer, who testified that Maxwell gave her a nude massage at Epstein’s New Mexico ranch when she was 16. Maxwell allegedly instructed her on giving foot massages and joked to ease her discomfort.
Further details emerge from grand jury testimony about a movie outing where Maxwell joked and pulled down Epstein’s pants, then inside the theatre Epstein touched the victim’s leg and held her hand openly in front of Maxwell. Another victim recounted conversations with Maxwell about her home life, painting a picture of systematic grooming designed to create dependency and normalise abuse.
