The brother of Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell sees the phenomenon of “mass hysteria” in the USA as the reason for his sister’s conviction. “I believe her when she says she hasn’t committed a single crime,” writes Ian Maxwell in an op-ed for British newspaper The Telegraph. “There is no doubt that their faith in the US justice system has betrayed them, and that really puzzles me.”
According to the 66-year-old, politicians in the United States would “easily be influenced by lynching”. “Of course there is a sex trade in the United States,” writes Maxwell. However, it would not be as common as most US citizens would think. The Briton refers to statistics by political scientists Joseph Uscinski and Adam Enders, according to which more than half of US citizens estimate the number of victims of human trafficking to be much higher than they actually are.
According to Maxwell, there is a “cowboy culture” in the United States that would lead to “mass hysteria.” “This panic is having a tremendous impact on vote-struggling US politicians who are driven by public opinion, no matter how insane. The elected judiciary is in the same position,” said the Brit. “That is the basis of the charges against Ghislaine.”
Ghislaine Maxwell has been in prison for two years. In December 2021, the 60-year-old was found guilty by a New York grand jury of trafficking a minor for sexual abuse. Her sentence is to be announced on Tuesday, and she faces a possible prison sentence of between 30 and 55 years.
“I feel a great deal of sympathy for all girls and women who have actually been abused, but it doesn’t give other people the right to make unfounded allegations that are then automatically believed,” writes Ian Maxwell. “Especially not when these allegations are financially well rewarded.”
According to the 66-year-old, after Jeffrey Epstein’s death, there was a “vacuum that had to be filled.” The investment banker was arrested in 2019 for sexually exploiting a minor. A few months later, Epstein was found dead in his cell while preparing for trial.
After the incident, US Attorney William Barr launched “a personal vendetta” against Ghislaine, according to Ian Maxwell. “That led straight to the TV show after her arrest that branded her guilty in the eyes of the world.” That would never have happened in Britain, the Brit claims.
At the end of December last year, Ghislaine Maxwell’s family appealed the verdict. Ian Maxwell concludes his op-ed by saying: “I know that Ghislaine is innocent and that in no civilized country would she ever have been found guilty. We will never stop fighting for justice to secure their release.”
