Victims leave Ghislaine Maxwell sentencing
By Katherine Donlevy



Follow the New York Post’s up-to-the-minute coverage of Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison sentencing Tuesday following her conviction on multiple counts of sexual abuse.
Ghislaine Maxwell's family is "solidly behind her," her brother Kevin Maxwell told reporters outside the courthouse. "We have nothing to add to the very heartfelt statement that Ghislaine gave in court and nothing to add to the comments that she made to the victims and her sincere hope that the trial and the conviction will allow the victims some closure," he said. "Ghislaine will be exercising her right to appeal. We the family will be solidly behind her all the way."Victims leave Ghislaine Maxwell sentencing
By Katherine Donlevy 



Maxwell's family 'solidly behind her,' brother says
By Elizabeth Rosner 
"This is a nice piece of a vindication and validation," Ghislaine Epstein and Jeffrey Maxwell accuser Elizabeth Stein said outside the courthouse.
Stein, who addressed the court during the hearing, said she was surprised that Maxwell decided to speak and that it was "unnerving" to hear her voice at first.
"I kept reminding myself she was in front of me in shackles being sentenced and Sarah [Ransome] and I were there sitting together free."
Stein said she thought the 20-year sentence was "reasonable," adding, "We are happy to finally have some closure and start a new chapter in our lives."

Asked about Ghislaine Maxwell's apology in court, Sarah Ransome told reporters, "I wish she was sorry when she was forcing me into a room to be raped. That's when I wish she was sorry."
Ransome, who delivered an emotional statement during the hearing, said, "To force someone into a room to be raped ... There is not enough 'sorry' in the world."
"'I am sorry' does not cut it," she said outside the courthouse. "Actions speak louder than words. I hope she does the same, but I know the real Ghislaine."

Judge Alison Nathan said she will recommend that Ghislaine Maxwell be sent to the Danbury, Connecticut, Federal Correctional Institution after her lawyers asked the judge that she serve out her time there.
The low-security federal prison was the inspiration for the fictional prison in the Netflix show "Orange Is The New Black."

US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams praised the sentencing decision made on Tuesday.
“Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children," he said in a statement. "This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late for justice.
"We again express our gratitude to [Jeffrey] Epstein and Maxwell’s victims for their courage in coming forward, in testifying at trial, and in sharing their stories as part of today’s sentencing," he added.

Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but she'll be serving time on three counts concurrently.
The judge sentenced her to five years for one count, 10 years for another, and 20 years for a third.
She was also ordered to pay a fine of $750,000 after the judge rejected her lawyers' claim that she would be unable to fork over the money.
Maxwell will also have five years of supervised release following her prison time.
Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 in prison Tuesday for her role in helping powerful pedophile Jeffrey Epstein abuse young girls, capping off a dramatic fall from grace for the British socialite-turned-convicted sex-trafficker.

Maxwell’s sentencing marked the end of the federal criminal proceedings against her in the Southern District of New York, where she was brought after her arrest at a sprawling New Hampshire estate in July 2020.
Judge Alison Nathan, mulling the sentence, said that Ghislaine Maxwell "is not being punished in place of [Jeffrey] Epstein or in proxy of Epstein."
She also said the fact that Maxwell was wealthy and that the case was high-profile wouldn't affect her decision.
"Whether you are powerful or entirely unknown, nobody is above the law," she said.

Ghislaine Maxwell looked at her victims, saying, "I am sorry for the pain that you experienced."
"I hope my conviction and harsh incarceration brings you pleasure."
“I believe that Jeffrey Epstein was a manipulative, cunning and controlling man who lived a profoundly compartmentalized life and fooled all of those in his orbit,” Ghislaine Maxwell told the court.

She said the pedophile financier, who killed himself behind bars in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, "should have been here before all of you."
But she admitted, "Today is not about Epstein. It is for me to ultimately be sentenced."