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Dec 2021
32m 59s

The Trial of Ghislaine Maxwell

The New York Times
About this episode

This episode contains descriptions of self-harm and alleged sexual abuse.

When Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a federal jail, dozens of his alleged victims lost their chance to bring him to justice.

But the trial of his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, on charges that she recruited, groomed and ultimately helped Mr. Epstein abuse young girls, may offer an opportunity to obtain a degree of reckoning.

We look into how Mr. Epstein was allowed to die, and ask whether justice is still possible for his accusers.

Guest: Benjamin Weiser, a reporter covering the Manhattan federal courts for The New York Times.

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Background reading: 

  • Testimony at Ms. Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial revealed a key question in the case: Were Ms. Maxwell and Mr. Epstein partners, or partners in crime?
  • During the second day of the trial, a woman accused Ms. Maxwell of befriending her when she was a 14-year-old girl, only to join in the sexual abuse that followed

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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