BBC: Ghislaine Maxwell: What the trial means for Prince Andrew

[abqtommy]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59780323

While much of this article concerns the recent trial and conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell,
there is some interesting information regarding the accountability of Prince Andrew in
particular, and gives us hope that accountability will come to all of those involved.

>If Ghislaine Maxwell had been acquitted, that could have immediately undermined Virginia Roberts Giuffre's claims, because she alleges in court papers that the British socialite "spent years overseeing and managing Epstein's sex trafficking network, and actively recruited underage girls, including [herself]".

And so the conviction means Ms Giuffre's lawyers can go into her case against Prince Andrew saying it's now beyond reasonable doubt that Maxwell played a role in Epstein's abuse. The senior royal's relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell is now as important to the outcome of the damages case as his relationship to Epstein.

Ms Giuffre's court filings repeatedly stress that Epstein was close enough to the Duke to attend his 40th birthday party and have contact numbers for him. The Maxwell case has not knocked any of this down.

During the trial, prosecutors disclosed new pictures of Maxwell and Epstein to emphasise how close they were. And one photo shows the pair at Balmoral, the Queen's private Scottish residence.<

There's a LOT more text, photos and a courtroom sketch at the link.

[WHITT]

1. Except

If Ghislaine Maxwell had been acquitted, that could have immediately undermined Virginia Roberts Giuffre's claims, because she alleges in court papers that the British socialite "spent years overseeing and managing Epstein's sex trafficking network, and actively recruited underage girls, including [herself]".

Giuffre couldn't testify in the Maxwell trial, as she's given too many conflicting statements, not to mention getting caught lying that she was underage, which of course, she was not.

And so the conviction means Ms Giuffre's lawyers can go into her case against Prince Andrew saying it's now beyond reasonable doubt that Maxwell played a role in Epstein's abuse.

Which has nothing whatsoever to do with, or provide any evidence against, the Duke.