Ghislaine Maxwell seen with black eye in first photo since arrest as socialite claims she doesn’t know how she got it
GHISLAINE Maxwell has been seen with a black eye in the first photo released by the courts since her arrest - but the heiress has claimed she doesn't know how she got it.
It is the first time the British socialite has been pictured since she was locked up last year on child grooming charges linked to ex-lover Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking, having only been depicted in courtroom sketches up until now.
Maxwell, 59, appears gaunt with a bruise next to her left eye in the snap which was included in documents filed by her legal team.
Her lawyers in New York claim she was accosted at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre by prison guards, who demanded she tell them how she got the mark on her face.
The court papers said: “She was confronted by MDC staff due to a visible bruise over her left eye.
“Despite 24/7 camera surveillance, no guard addressed the bruise until Ms Maxwell, who has no mirror, caught a reflection of her aching eye in the gleam of a nail-clipper.
“At that point, MDC staff confronted her regarding the source of the bruise, threatening to place her in the special housing unit if she did not reveal how she got it."
Her lawyers claimed she was unaware of the source of the injury.
They claimed it may have been due to her having to shield her eyes from guards shining a light in her cell.
A judge ordered an investigation into Maxwell’s treatment at the hands of prison guards after the picture emerged of her with a bruised face.
District Judge Alison Nathan asked the US government if it was flashing torches into her cell every 15 minutes during the night and what the basis was for doing so.
A court heard earlier this week how the Brit was forced to place a sock on her face at night, due to the guards checking on her health.
Her lawyer, David Markus, revealed her makeshift jail face mask while arguing for her release on bail pending trial.
He said Maxwell could not prepare for her trial because she is awakened every 15 minutes by guards.
Prosecutors have argued the checks are “routine” and that Maxwell has been given a face mask so she can sleep through them - a claim Markus disputed.
Maxwell faces trial in July on six sex trafficking charges, which she denies.
She was denied bail again by a New York judge this week.
Maxwell is accused of recruiting underage girls for the disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Markus said during Monday's oral argument that his client "has been detained under horrific conditions," so terrible that she could not prepare for trial.
The court considers Maxwell, who has US, British and French passports, a flight risk. This is the fourth time since her arrest that she has been denied bail.
In a brief ruling, the court reaffirmed the continued incarceration of Maxwell, who has been behind bars in New York since July 2020.
She faces six counts, including sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor.
Epstein killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Maxwell's lawyer complained that his client "is kept in solitary confinement for no reason" and that the prison guards "follow her around with a handheld camera" because they fear she could try to kill herself, even though he said she is not suicidal.
To address any sleep problems, the court urged Maxwell's attorney to discuss the issue with the New York federal judge in charge of the case, Alison Nathan.
ABUSE ALLEGATIONS
The alleged crimes occurred between 1994 and 2004, and relate to four women, including two who prosecutors say were just 14 years old when they were sexually abused.
Maxwell denies all the allegations against her. A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf by her lawyer.
Her trial is due to begin on July 12, although her defense team is pushing for more time to prepare.
Maxwell faces an effective life sentence if convicted.nephew
She allegedly befriended girls with shopping and movie theater outings, and later coaxed them into giving Epstein nude massages during which he would engage in sex acts.
The new picture comes after Maxwell wrote a letter to a judge and claimed that a senior guard at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York stood "knee-to-knee" with her while she "sat on the commode".
She was accused by guards of not flushing the toilet in her cell - however she blamed the smell on rotting pipes.
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