From high society to prison: The rise and fall of Ghislaine Maxwell – the woman behind Epstein | world news

Epstein Files: Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions from a US Congressional Oversight Committee on Monday. She virtually appeared before the committee from Texas prison, where she is serving a 20-year sentence in a sex trafficking case.

Committee members said her silence had been anticipated. Disappointing the lawmakers, she invoked her constitutional right to keep silent. They had prepared questions about the crimes linked to Epstein’s network and his possible accomplices. The inquiry is aimed at establishing the truth, inform the American people and secure justice for survivors.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for helping Epstein lure underage girls and facilitate their sexual exploitation. Epstein died in jail in 2019. With his death, the focus of the investigators shifted towards her.

She was born on December 25, 1961, into a wealthy family. Her father, Robert Maxwell, was a powerful publishing tycoon. Her mother was Betty Maxwell. She was the youngest among nine siblings.

The allegations against her shocked many. She was accused of grooming underage girls and delivering them into Epstein’s exploitation network. Her upbringing took place at Headington Hill Hall in Oxford, England. Lavish parties were common there. Politicians, celebrities and media personalities attended those gatherings.

The life story of her father, Robert Maxwell, drew global attention. He rose from extreme poverty in a Jewish community in Czechoslovakia. Many of his relatives were killed in the Holocaust. He later became a British war hero, a publishing magnate, a Labor Party MP and the owner of the Daily Mirror.

Ghislaine studied at the Marlborough College and the Oxford University. She pursued modern history and languages. After graduation, her father appointed her director of Oxford United Football Club. He also helped her launch a corporate gift supply business.

In January 1991, Robert acquired the New York Daily News. He sent Ghislaine to New York as his representative. She entered Manhattan’s elite social circles during this period.

Her life changed later that year. Her father disappeared from his yacht near the Canary Islands. His body was later found at sea. The loss devastated her.

In 2005, the parents of a 14-year-old girl reported sexual abuse by Epstein. He received an 18-month prison sentence three years later. Allegations multiplied after his release. He faced accusations of running a vast network exploiting young girls.

He was arrested again in 2019 on sex trafficking charges and found dead in his jail cell a month later. Investigators then turned their attention toward Maxwell.

Her association with Epstein drew intense scrutiny. She introduced him to wealthy and influential contacts. Epstein’s fortune funded the lifestyle she had grown used to. Prosecutors stated in court that she had not been especially wealthy before meeting him. Reports said she worked in real estate after her father’s death and lived in a modest apartment costing about $2,000 a month.

Details about the beginning and duration of their relationship were disputed in court. Four charges in her trial related to the period between 1994 and 1997. She was described as one of Epstein’s closest associates during those years. References to an intimate relationship also came to fore.

By the 2000s, her name was linked to businessman Ted Waitt. Her association with Epstein continued. He described her in 2003 as his best friend. Private photographs released by prosecutors suggested ongoing closeness.

Court filings included testimony from former employees at Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion. They described her as the house manager. She supervised staff, handled financial matters and coordinated social engagements.

Prosecutors argued her proximity to Epstein played a central role in the abuse pattern. She was accused of identifying survivors, grooming them and drawing them into the network. In December 2021, a jury found her guilty on five of six charges. The most serious count involved sex trafficking of a minor.

She was arrested in July 2020 at her estate in New Hampshire. Her journey from elite social prominence to a prison sentence now stands as one of the most scrutinized downfalls linked to the Epstein scandal.