Ghislaine Maxwell's conviction for sex trafficking will remain in place—despite a dispute over a juror—opening up the prospect that Prince Andrew's accuser Virginia Giuffre may make a court statement.
Giuffre sued Queen Elizabeth II's son, alleging Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with the royal in the early 2000s. The two sides settled out of court.
Separately, Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 on five out of six counts of sex trafficking girls for Epstein to abuse.
Giuffre was not a witness in that case but her lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, hinted in December that there may be an opportunity for her to contribute a statement during the sentencing process.
Ghislaine Maxwell's Sentencing Will Have 'A Lot of Testimony'
Sigrid McCawley, Giuffre's attorney, told the Daily Telegraph at the time: "At the sentencing, I anticipate that there will be a lot of testimony from many, many other women who were not able to be heard at the trial, who will come forward and bring information about their suffering at the hands of Ghislaine Maxwell.
"I believe this will be considered by the court before Judge Nathan renders her decision on the length of time Ghislaine will serve behind bars."
If Giuffre does give a victim impact statement it would be her first major public comment since settling the case with Andrew.
However, Maxwell's conviction was thrown into disarray in January after media interviews by juror Scotty David, who said he had discussed his own past experiences of sexual assault during deliberations.
Ghislaine Maxwell's Bid for a New Trial
David, it transpired, had incorrectly answered on his jury questionnaire when asked whether he had any history of sexual abuse.
The saga led some to believe Maxwell was on course for a new trial and that the victims in the case would have to testify again.
However, Judge Alison Nathan dismissed the application after David was called in to give testimony in which he said his answers were an honest mistake.
A court filing, seen by Newsweek, read: "Juror 50's [Scotty David's] lack of attention and care in responding accurately to every question on the questionnaire is regrettable, but the Court is confident that the failure to disclose was not deliberate.
"The Court further finds that Juror 50 was not biased and would not have been stricken for cause even if he had answered each question on the questionnaire accurately."
A Long Wait for Justice
Sentencing is scheduled for June 28 when victims of Epstein and Maxwell will finally get a chance to see justice handed down after the New York financier's death in August 2019.
Epstein was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008, following a heavily criticized plea deal that saw him sentenced to 18 months in prison and serve just 13.
He was arrested again in 2019 on new allegations he created a "vast network" of underage sexual abuse victims but died behind bars before he could be put on trial.
The indictment, reported by Time, read: "Moreover, and in order to maintain and increase his supply of victims, Epstein also paid certain of his victims to recruit additional girls to be similarly abused by Epstein.
"In this way, Epstein created a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit in locations including New York and Palm Beach."
