Ghislaine Maxwell alleged a guard physically abused her in federal prison and that she was punished for talking about it, according to her lawyer.
The complaint was written in a letter from attorney Bobbi Sternheim to a Manhattan federal judge, alleging the abuse occurred at the Metropolitan Detention Center while Maxwell, 59, was undergoing a pat-down search at her isolation cell.
Sternheim said Maxwell, the former girlfriend of convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein, requested a camera be used to capture what was happening to her, but a guard “replied ‘no.’”
“When Ms. Maxwell recoiled in pain and when she said she would report the mistreatment, she was threatened with disciplinary action,” Sternheim said.
In the days following, the British socialite was allegedly punished for reporting abuse as a guard ordered her to clean, scrub, and sanitize showers using a broom.
Maxwell is awaiting her July trial on charges of recruiting three teenage girls for Epstein to abuse sexually in the 1990s and additional perjury charges during 2016 depositions in a civil case. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
She has remained in jail without bail since last July and was arrested almost a year after Epstein was taken into custody for sex trafficking charges. Epstein died in jail on Aug. 10, 2019, and his death was later ruled a suicide.
In Tuesday’s letter, Sternheim reiterated claims that Maxwell is being subjected to unorthodox conditions, including repeated searches and being awakened every 15 minutes by a light flashed into her cell when she sleeps. She said the prison is taking precautions in light of Epstein’s suicide.
“She is withering to a shell of her former self — losing weight, losing hair, and losing her ability to concentrate,” Sternheim said. “In addition to the many difficulties impacting her review of electronic discovery materials, the over-management and stress are impacting her stamina and effectiveness in preparing her defense and conferring with counsel.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Federal Bureau of Prisons but did not immediately receive a response.
