Ghislaine Maxwell Sentencing: ⁢Victims Demand Justice, Maxwell Claims⁢ Regret

Ghislaine Maxwell’s sentencing hearing saw ⁤powerful testimonies from victims and their advocates, who⁢ urged Judge Alison Nathan to impose a severe penalty, citing Maxwell’s alleged‍ lack⁢ of ⁤remorse and the profound harm she inflicted.

Victims Speak Out: A Plea for Accountability

During the sentencing of Ghislaine Maxwell, ‍several individuals who testified at her trial implored Judge Alison Nathan to deliver ⁤a stringent ⁣sentence.⁣ Their testimonies painted a ‍stark picture of the damage Maxwell allegedly ‍caused and highlighted what they perceived ⁣as ⁣her absence of genuine remorse.

One witness, identified ⁢only as “Kate,” described Maxwell⁣ as a “manipulative, cruel and merciless person⁤ who only uses kindness to manipulate and⁣ generosity to seek recognition.” ⁤Kate ⁢further asserted, “The lack of remorse‍ or⁤ duty taken by Ghislaine⁣ for ⁤how she ruined the lives of countless women and children is exactly how we can tell that she doesn’t think what she did is wrong. She ‍is not ⁤sorry, and she would do it again.”

Annie Farmer, another victim, implored the ⁣judge to consider the “ongoing suffering⁤ of the many women whom she abused and exploited.” Farmer emphasized how Maxwell’s perceived inability⁣ to accept the consequences of her actions continued ⁤to inflict pain on the victims.”I ask you to bear in mind⁣ how Maxwell’s unwillingness ⁣to acknowledge her⁣ crimes, her ⁢lack ⁤of remorse and her repeated lies about her victims created the need for many of us to engage in ‍a long⁢ fight for justice that has felt like a black hole sucking in our precious time, ⁤energy and well-being for much too long now, things that cannot be replaced,” Farmer stated.

Maxwell’s Statement: Empathy and Shifting Blame

In her brief address to the court,Ghislaine Maxwell expressed that she “empathize[s] deeply‍ with all of the ⁤victims in ⁤this case” and identified her association⁤ with Jeffrey Epstein years prior as her “greatest ⁤regret.”

Her legal team has consistently maintained⁤ that Maxwell ⁤was unfairly targeted for ⁢epstein’s crimes following his death. This defence was⁤ echoed in her statement at the sentencing.”Jeffrey Epstein⁢ shoudl have ⁤been ⁢here before all of you. he should have stood before you all those years ago,” Maxwell declared.”He should have stood ⁤before you ⁣in 2005, again in 2009, and again⁣ in 2019, all of the many times he was accused, charged,⁢ and prosecuted.⁤ But today it ⁣is ⁢indeed not about⁣ Epstein ultimately. It is for me to be sentenced and for⁢ the victims to address me,and me alone,in this court.”

ABC News’ Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.