Ghislaine Maxwell Suicide Watch: Jeffrey Epstein's Pal Not Suicidal, But Sudden Decision Could Cause Delay

Ghislaine Maxwell is on suicide watch, but she isn't suicidal, according to her attorney.

Following the declaration of a suicide watch for the notorious British socialite and Jeffrey Epstein chum, Maxwell's counsel promised that she would try to postpone Maxwell's sentence on allegations that she recruited minor girls for Epstein to abuse.

Ghislaine Maxwell May Seek Sentencing Delay

Ghislaine Maxwell, 61, hasn't been allowed to fully prepare since officials at a federal prison in Brooklyn quickly placed her in solitary confinement and notified her she was on suicide watch on Friday, according to the letter.

Sternheim stated that her usual clothing, toothbrush, soap, and documents were taken away as part of her suicide watch. Maxwell was placed on suicide watch even though she is not suicidal, according to her counsel. Maxwell was tested by a psychologist, who confirmed his opinion.

Maxwell's ex-boyfriend, Epstein, committed suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting his sex trafficking trial. Maxwell was convicted last year on accusations that she groomed and mistreated minors for Epstein between 1994 and 2004. Since her arrest, she and her counsel have protested about the circumstances of her confinement, alleging that she was subjected to strip searches and was woken every 15 minutes, New York Post reported.

In a court filing Wednesday, federal prosecutors requested a judge to sentence Maxwell to 30 to 55 years in prison, claiming she chose to sexually abuse several minor females. Maxwell's attorneys requested a court last week to sentence her to between 4.25 and 5.25 years in jail, arguing that her poor background rendered her vulnerable to Epstein's activities and that she should not receive a heavy term as a result of his conduct.

Epstein's confidante and former lover, Maxwell, was caught a year later and has been imprisoned since. Prosecutors allege that between 1994 and 2004, Maxwell assisted Epstein in setting up a strategy to entice young females into sexual encounters.

In December, she was found guilty of five federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a juvenile, conveying a minor with the purpose to engage in criminal sexual behavior, and three related conspiracy offenses. She will, however, be punished on only three charges after the judge presiding over her case ruled that two of the conspiracy counts she faced were redundant, as per CNN.

Ghislaine Maxwell's Team Aim to Reduce Jail Sentence

Prosecutors have suggested Maxwell should serve at least 30 years in jail because of her complete lack of remorse, while Maxwell seeks a sentence of fewer than 20 years. US Circuit Judge Alison Nathan will hand out the punishment in federal court in Manhattan.

Maxwell has been incarcerated in the Brooklyn jail since her arrest in July 2020. Her attorneys complained about the confinement circumstances there several times before trial, including last November when Sternheim compared them to Hannibal Lecter's in the 1991 Oscar-winning picture 'The Silence of the Lambs.'

Maxwell has also asked for a more compassionate sentence of four years and three months in prison, claiming she is being used as a scapegoat for Epstein's misdeeds. Her court pleadings stated that her participation in the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) indicated her 'desire to do good in the world.'

Last Monday, her defense attorneys requested that she be sentenced to no more than five years in jail. The paper indicates in a subsequent part that Maxwell is not an heiress, villain, or vacuous socialite.

However, authorities claim Maxwell was a key figure in the horrendous sexual assault of many young adolescent girls at various of Epstein's opulent homes between 1994 and 2004. Prosecutors also asked the judge to deny Maxwell's clemency requests, claiming that she had suffered unprecedentedly in jail while awaiting trial and afterward, according to Daily Mail.