Epstein women rally as Maxwell faces scrutiny

‘He was encouraging that the investigation of others ... would continue’

NEW York prosecutors have given renewed hope to accusers of Jeffrey Epstein that justice may yet be served, sitting down with them amid increasing speculation that the British heiress Ghislaine Maxwell could still be charged.

Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, met behind closed doors some of the 16 women who spoke in court on Tuesday. Mr Berman was “very encouraging”, one of those present at the meeting told The Daily Telegraph, and the women were given hope by what they heard.

Several of the dozens of women to accuse Epstein of abuse told prosecutors in Tuesday’s hearing that they were trapped in a web created by both Epstein and Miss Maxwell, his longtime companion.

She is alleged in court documents to have served as a recruiter of vulnerable girls for Epstein. Miss Maxwell, 56, has never been charged, and has denied any wrongdoing. Epstein’s death has led to increasing speculation that prosecutors will now turn their focus on her.

Gloria Allred, the high-profile women’s rights lawyer who is representing five Epstein accusers – and weighing up taking on yet more – said she was impressed by Mr Berman’s words.

“He was encouraging that the investigation of others who may have been involved in a conspiracy with Mr Epstein to sex traffic under-age minors would continue, despite the fact that Jeffrey Epstein is deceased,” she told The Telegraph. Mr Berman, who was overseeing the charges Epstein faced when he died on Aug 10, has previously said that his team’s “investigation of the conduct charged in the indictment – which included a conspiracy count – remains ongoing”.

Frank Perrone, a former prosecutor in New York and now a partner at private law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, said Miss Maxwell could not rest easy, despite there being no charges filed so far.