Ghislaine Maxwell considered such a strong suicide risk she wears paper clothes

Ghislaine Maxwell is considered such a strong suicide risk that she wears paper clothes and sleeps on paper sheets in prison.

Ghislaine Maxwell and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Ghislaine Maxwell is considered such a strong suicide risk that she has been made to wear paper clothes and sleep on paper sheets in prison.

When Ms Maxwell, 58, was arrested at a 156-acre, multi-million dollar estate on the outskirts of the small town of Bradford, New Hampshire, last Thursday, she was initially taken to a state facility. Since then she has been transported to the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where federal officials have been specifically tasked with making sure that she has extensive protections.

They are worried that she might harm herself or that other inmates might try to attack her, an anonymous official told the Associated Press.

The concerns are especially strong because Jeffrey Epstein, Ms Maxwell’s former boyfriend and close friend, took his own life aged 66 in a Manhattan jail last summer while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

Ms Maxwell was charged last week with four counts of trafficking underage girls to be abused by Epstein, and two charges of perjury when denying knowledge of his alleged crimes.

Conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death are common online. Cameras outside his cell malfunctioned on the night of his death and two prison guards have been charged with falsifying records and sleeping on the job that night. Bill Barr, the attorney-general, said the incident had been a “perfect storm of screw-ups”.

The Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn.

As well as the paper clothes, officials are ensuring that Ms Maxwell always has a room-mate in her cell and is constantly monitored. Prosecutors allege that she helped to lure at least three girls, one of them as young as 14, to be sexually abused by Epstein between 1994 and 1997. Sometimes she participated in the abuse herself, prosecutors claimed. The alleged abuse took place at Epstein’s properties in New York, New Mexico and Florida, as well as at Maxwell’s home in London.

Ms Maxwell, the youngest child of the disgraced late publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, has previously denied wrongdoing. She will appear before a New York district judge via video link on Tuesday for her arraignment, meaning that the charges against her will be read out and she will have the opportunity to enter a plea.

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The court appearance will also function as a bail hearing. Prosecutors have said that she poses an “extreme risk of flight” and so should be held until trial. They said that she has had access to more than $US20 million in 15 bank accounts in recent years, and has extensive international ties.

Ms Maxwell’s legal team includes Christian Everdell, who for a decade until 2016 was a government prosecutor in the team now prosecuting her. During that time he was a key figure in the investigation into Joaquin Guzman, the Mexican drug lord known as “El Chapo” who was extradited to the US and jailed for life last year. Mr Everdell was given a “True American Hero Award” by the federal drug agent foundation in 2014 for his work.

Some legal commentators have suggested that Mr Everdell might encourage Ms Maxwell to become a “co-operating witness” as part of a plea deal. The charges against her mean she could face 35 years in prison if found guilty.

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If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide call Lifeline (13 11 14), the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) or Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).