Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyers complain about her prison treatment in leaked letter

Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyers claim she is being “held under uniquely onerous conditions” as she awaits trial for her part in the Epstein scandal.

The lawyers representing Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite charged with recruiting teenage girls for financier Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse, wrote a motion to the federal judge assigned to the case requesting that she be released into the Metropolitan Detention Centre’s general population so she can “meaningfully participate in her own defence”.

The letter, obtained by Fox News, claims that Maxwell has been “treated less favourably than a typical pre-trial detainee,” which they assume is the result of Jeffrey Epstein’s “apparent suicide attempt” in July 2019. The letter also claims that Maxwell has been “subject to suicide watch protocols” that include being “woken up every few hours during the night and being forced to wear special clothing”.

The lawyers point out that their client has never been a risk for suicide but has been kept out of the general population for 36 days.

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2005. Picture: Getty

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Maxwell has been in custody for over a month and has been “held under uniquely onerous conditions,” the letter read. She is surveilled 24 hours a day by security cameras that are viewed by “multiple prison guards, many of whom do not appear to be regular MDC personnel”.

“These prison guards constantly observe Ms Maxwell and take notes on her every activity, including her phone conversations with defence counsel,” the letter read. They claim the conditions in the jail are infringing on Maxwell’s Sixth Amendment right to participate in her own defence.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

An artist’s sketch of Ghislaine Maxwell as she appeared via video link during her arraignment hearing. Picture: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

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Maxwell is facing six counts of sex trafficking involving minors between 1994 and 1997. She has pleaded not guilty and the trial has been scheduled to begin in July 2021. Her lawyer called the indictment at the time “meritless”.

A trove of documents released a few weeks ago seems to show she kept in touch with Epstein longer than was previously believed. She claimed at a bail hearing that she hadn’t been in contact with Epstein for more than a decade.

But Epstein emailed her what seems to be a statement in January 2015, which was apparently prepared for her to use when asked about their relationship, according to the documents.

At one point, Epstein wrote: “You have done nothing wrong and I (would) urge you to start acting like it.” He suggested she go outside and hold her head high, “not as an (escaping) convict.”

Maxwell is unhappy with her prison conditions. Picture: Getty Images North America/AFP

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The motion also seeks the identities of three alleged victims so they can better prepare the defence.

Her lawyers concluded the letter to Alison Nathan, the federal judge in New York, by saying that they do not seek any special treatment for their client, but “she does ask that she not be specially disfavoured” prior to her trial.

This story originally appeared on Fox News and is republished here with permission