Ghislaine Maxwell Found Guilty

Oldwoman70

Does anyone really believe she will be handed the maximum sentence? She knew what was happening, she facilitated it and should serve a prison sentence. Anyone else feel that any sentence will be served in a minimum security prison with lots of facilities.

She may have grown up with a manipulative father but how does that explain being complicit in the sexual abuse of young girls?

I expect her to be given a sentence at least towards the maximum, I'd be very surprised if it was particularly lenient. I'm not knowledgeable enough about USA prisons to know their different categories but I seriously doubt any have lots of facilities. While I don't think prisons should in any way be like 'holiday camps' surely it's the loss of liberty that is the punishment?

She is a product of her upbringing, but no matter how skewed that might have been, as an adult she had choices. Unfortunately for those victims she made the wrong ones for her own self-interest. There is no excuse, she knew it was wrong.

I also noticed her adoring gaze of Epstein in all the photos, MOnica. I have some sympathy with her childhood problems but we have to take responsibility for our behaviour when we become adults. I hope she gets an appropiate sentence.
I actually thought her name was of Irish origin, but obviously I'm wrong.

It’s a great pity all the abusers won’t be lined up in court simply because they’re rich, influential men who will have the money to get themselves out of the sh1t.
Regarding her sentencing I wonder if it would be reduced if she named all the men involved?
Or will she unfortunately ‘commit suicide’ like Epstein did?
Even if she is being scapegoated she’s as guilty as he was.

Whitewavemark2

I feel sorry for the victims and what they have had to suffer from those who refused to believe them. Their bravery is to be admired, particularly as the majority of them came from dysfunctional and poor households.

This is my take on it. Those poor girls (women now) who were not believed when they told their stories must be feeling vindicated now. I wonder if there will be a spate of apologise from those who doubted them.

Now it is time to find and prosecute all those filthy men who used the same services as Epstein. Including those in high positions. Won’t happen,though.

Wouldn’t it be good if trials like this one challenge the myth that ‘sex work’ is a positive, empowering way of life for the majority who “choose it”

Like others I think that she has to accept responsibility for her own actions, but I also think that she is being punished for JE's crimes as well as her own, and that at the age of 60 she has been in prison for long enough already. To whom is she any kind of threat now?

The girls were deceived and manipulated by GM but I have seen no evidence that they weren't free to walk away which to my mind should be taken into account.

I would rather have seen a very hefty fine, earmarked for children's charities, and regular stints of community service.

I read that the time she spent in prison prior to her conviction was horrendous- rat infested and mouldy food, so I don’t think she will be staying anywhere in comfort. Although her crime was heinous , isn’t it very sad that a woman’s mind must be so twisted to do such things, presumably under the spell of an evil man.

I am so relieved that she was found guilty, I also thought her money and power would get her off.
Now it’s time for the powers that be to get the other big names like PA, and what were Trump and Clinton doing there amongst others.

Also read today that after her eldest sibling died she was ignored and became anorexic as a toddler

Doesn’t matter what her childhood was like she was wealthy,
childhood abuse only matters if the victim is poor

Those wealthy high powered men were so ignorant and entitled that back then they probably thought the girls had chosen that way of life, not giving a thought to grooming or procurement

Doubt men wealthy or not who seek out prostitutes give thought to why the girl is a prostitute

I think Atqui is right, I doubt it crossed the minds of any of those 'party goers ' including Prince Andrew, where these young girls came from or how they came to be there. As for Ghislaine, I think she was completely mesmerised by J.E to the point of worship. I was born, lived and for a while worked in Oxford and knew someone who was employed as a gardener at Headington Hill Hall when Robert Maxwell (Pergamon Press) was in residence. His reputation was not flattering to say the least! Horrid man.

GM is just another perpetrator of the age old grim trade of supplying young, pure and POOR girls to satisfy the whims of any "gentlemen" with enough money to buy them.
In 1885, supporting the bill to raise the age of consent to 13(!!), a campaigning editor of the Pall Mall Gazette, William Stead, published a series of articles highlighting the abhorent trade of child prostitution/slavery and actually purchased a child, Elizabeth Armstrong, to illustrate the prevailing ease and attitude of our privileged "betters". (I remember a BBC documentary where one of the honourable members of Parliament was bemoaning the fact that their sons would have nothing to practice on if this hated and contested bill became law.)
Sadly, William Armstrong's expose caused a furore among the elite and he lost his job as a result.
So, really, thank God times have hopefully changed and Maxwell has at last been made to face the consequences of their/her disgusting, inhuman acts.

No you are right anniebach, those who use prostitutes dont see them as human beings.

Thank you Galaxy

In 1885, supporting the bill to raise the age of consent to 13(!!), a campaigning editor of the Pall Mall Gazette, William Stead, published a series of articles highlighting the abhorent trade of child prostitution/slavery and actually purchased a child, Elizabeth Armstrong, to illustrate the prevailing ease and attitude of our privileged "betters". (I remember a BBC documentary where one of the honourable members of Parliament was bemoaning the fact that their sons would have nothing to practice on if this hated and contested bill became law.)
Sadly, William Armstrong's expose caused a furore among the elite and he lost his job as a result.

To some extent I think this attitude among some men still exists.

When they talk, glibly, about a woman's right to choose to work in the sex industry if that's what she wants to do, I don't think they are concerned with female emancipation or this so-called 'empowerment', it's rather that they think they have some inalienable right to a woman's body and are alarmed that women might choose not to become a prostitute. Or a certain 'type' of woman... this is not an occupation they would recommend to their own daughters.

I actually had this argument with a man (in a well-respected newspaper) some years ago when he told me in no uncertain terms that if my daughter chose to work as a prostitute, I should mind my own business as she was over the age of consent and it was all about 'choice' and none of my business. I challenged him and, in the end, his answer was (because I've never forgotten it) "men need sex and they should be allowed to access it". I told him that no man has a 'right' to a woman's body and he argued that if there were no prostitutes available, men would rape women instead.

I'm afraid women's emancipation has a long way to go yet.

He sounds a dangerous man Dickens.

I have the same opinion as Lesley60. I thought money and power would get her off. I really hope if Maxwell needs some sort of legal appeal, she will then start singing like a canary. Many rich and powerful people were in their circle. Why on earth was Prince Andrew ever involved with this couple? Bad judgement?

For the same reasons other rich and powerful men were, I'd imagine.

Why on earth was Prince Andrew ever involved with this couple? Bad judgement?

What MissAdventure says and bad judgement as well.

They all thought they were above the law. I hope Andrew finds he is not.

I'm pleased she was found guilty I would imagine a protective ring is already forming around Andrew. He'll be knee deep in lawyers.

Honestly that doesn't surprise me Dickens, I work in a very male dominated industry and they way some of them talk about women and sex would make anybodies toes curl. I think they forget I can hear them sometimes.

Anniebach

Doesn’t matter what her childhood was like she was wealthy,
childhood abuse only matters if the victim is poor

You keep repeating this, why? You know it is nonsense, in fact the very recent series about Margaret Duchess of Argyll disproves your theory. I agree that GM had a strange upbringing, as did all of the Maxwell children, but not every child with a domineering and bullying Father starts procuring children for their lover to abuse. I am glad that the verdict has been reached, and like Urmstongran I hope that a few old grey haired men are having sleepless nights. I do wonder if, given the guilty verdict with a potentially very long sentence, she will now divulge a few names, she has nothing to lose now. I really, really hope so, I would like to see a few careers and marriages ruined for what they knowingly did to other people's daughters. Carole Cadwallader summed it up very neatly on twitter when she said the only difference between Maxwell/Epstein and the Bradford/Rotherham/Oxford abuse cases was it was yachts and private planes instead of taxis and luxury houses rather than kebabs and vodka. Same crimes, same victims.