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Topics: US News, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein
Poppy Bilderbeck
Ghislaine Maxwell is trying to have her sentence reduced by arguing that prison inmates are threatening to kill her.
In December 2021, Maxwell was found guilty of five out of six charges she was facing in relation to the sex trafficking of minors.
Prosecutors have recommended the former socialite and girlfriend of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein spends 20 years in prison.
After failing to overturn the sex trafficking convictions, instead, on Wednesday, 15 June, Maxwell's lawyers argued for a shorter sentence.
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According to a pre-sentencing memo obtained by Insider, Maxwell's lawyers have claimed the 60-year-old's life is being threatened by other inmates.
The memo reads: "One of the female inmates in Maxwell's housing unit told at least three other inmates that she had been offered money to murder Maxwell and that she planned to strangle her in her sleep."
The attorneys have alleged Maxwell was told by the inmate that they thought killing the former socialite would be worth the added time in prison of 20 years.
However, the report noted that 'presumably' for Maxwell's safety, the inmate has since been moved to a different facility.
Maxwell's lawyers have also pushed for the 60-year-old's history of being an alleged victim of abuse to be a reason for her to serve less time.
They claimed that Maxwell's father - 'a man of large physical stature with a booming voice' - would 'explode, threaten, and rant at the children until they were reduced to pulp'.
The statement continued: "Mr. Maxwell was relentless, with children ending up in tears, punishments being doled out, and the whole family in utter distress."
Maxwell's lawyers have also tried to shift the blame onto Epstein.
They said: "Indeed, had Ghislaine Maxwell never had the profound misfortune of meeting Jeffrey Epstein over 30 years ago, she would not be here."
They argued that it was Epstein who was the 'mastermind' behind the abuse and that Maxwell shouldn't be punished for his wrongdoings.
Maxwell faces a maximum of up to 55 years in prison, with prosecutors arguing she should receive 20.
The former socialite's attorneys have asked for a sentence of just over five years.
US Circuit Judge Alison Nathan has set Maxwell's sentencing for 28 June.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 8am–10pm Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm weekends. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivor’s Trust for free on 08088 010 818, or through their website thesurvivorstrust.org