In a decisive ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court today rejected Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal, leaving intact her conviction for aiding and abetting the sexual exploitation and trafficking of minors alongside the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision effectively ends Maxwell’s long legal battle to overturn her 2021 conviction, which resulted in a 20-year prison sentence. The court’s refusal to hear her appeal confirms earlier judgments by lower courts that found no procedural or constitutional errors in the trial process.
Prosecutors had accused Maxwell of playing a “pivotal role” in Epstein’s network, helping to identify, recruit, and groom underage victims under the guise of mentorship and employment opportunities. Survivors described her as both an enabler and active participant in the abuse that spanned years and crossed international borders.
Maxwell, a former British socialite, was arrested in 2020 after a global manhunt and convicted in December 2021 on multiple counts of sex trafficking and conspiracy. She has consistently denied wrongdoing, claiming she was made a “scapegoat” for Epstein’s crimes following his death in custody in 2019.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling, the case against Maxwell reaches its conclusion, marking a significant milestone in the broader legal reckoning over Epstein’s vast network of abuse and the high-profile figures connected to it.
