Jeffrey Epstein escaped justice. Now his victims nervously await the trial of his alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. eorden reports
Photo: Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Teresa Helm was 22 years old when she was flown across the country for what she thought was an interview to be a private massage therapist for a wealthy Manhattan woman, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“At the time, I trusted this woman,” Helm says. “And I didn’t have any reason to believe she was getting ready to send me off to a predator.” Helm plans to travel from her home in Naples, Florida, to watch Maxwell in court along with a group of other victims. For some, including some of the victims cited in the charges against Maxwell, which stretch back to conduct that allegedly occurred in 1994, this trial is perhaps their last chance to get justice. “I do anticipate looking directly at her, and I don’t know what I’ll feel,” Helm says.
Maxwell denies all of this, and in court filings, her lawyers have accused the government of having conducted a “hasty and sloppy” investigation in the wake of Epstein’s suicide as it scrambled to file a case against someone else in his absence, alleging the “government substituted Ms. Maxwell for Jeffrey Epstein after his death.”The six-week trial promises to deliver some hurdles for both the prosecution and the defense.
Earlier this month, the judge presiding over the case imposed what may be another hurdle for the defense: She ruled that certain witnesses will be allowed to testify under a pseudonym or using only their first name. Though that is a rarity, two recent federal cases in New York have featured anonymous witnesses: the trials of R. Kelly and Keith Raniere, leader of the sex cult NXIVM .
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Longer wait times and unstocked shelves' — Nearly 1 million job openings loom over this holiday shopping seasonMore than 943,000 U.S.-based companies have announced plans to hire seasonal workers this year. That’s up 11% from last year. But workers are hardly jumping at these opportunities. Retail seasonal hiring was down 9% last month compared to last October.
Read more »
Swiss Same-Sex Couples Can Marry Starting July 2022The ruling comes almost two months since the majority of the Swiss public backed the legalization
Read more »
Biden Requests Investigation Into High Gas PricesThe President suggested that oil companies might be using illegal means to increase their profits
Read more »
Egypt amputee team set for first African regional tournamentEgypt's amputee soccer team are hoping to boost their World Cup chances when they head to Tanzania this month for their first appearance in a regional African tournament.
Read more »
'Party Down' Revival: Cast, Plot, Trailer, Release Date'Party Down' was Starz' show before its time. Now, it's getting another chance.
Read more »
Holly Willoughby replaced on This Morning after 'catching tummy bug' in last-minute changeHolly Willoughby replaced on This Morning after 'catching tummy bug' in last-minute change. Josie Gibson came to the rescue!
Read more »