Giuffre family say ‘monster’ Maxwell should not go free

The family of Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, has urged Donald Trump not to pardon the disgraced financier’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

- JAMES LIDDELL

As backlash grows over his administration’s handling of the Epstein case, Mr Trump told reporters on Monday that he is “allowed” to grant clemency to Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex-trafficking minors, adding that he hadn’t thought about it.

The family of Giuffre, a key survivor of Epstein’s sexual abuse who died by suicide in April, said any leniency shown toward Maxwell would be “one of the highest travesties of justice”.

“The government and the President should never consider giving Ghislaine Maxwell any leniency,” the family said in a statement on Wednesday. “Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life for the extraordinary violence and abuse she put not just our sister Virginia through, but many other survivors, who may number in the thousands.”

A senior administration official told NBC News that no leniency towards Maxwell is being discussed. The family also noted that Mr Trump said “clemency for Maxwell is not something he is even thinking about at this time”.