US

‘Effort To Harass Victims And Intimidate Them’: Gloria Allred Rips Into Maxwell Attorneys’ Request To Name Accusers

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A lawyer representing alleged victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein accused Ghislaine Maxwell’s legal representation Wednesday of attempting to harass and intimidate victims by requesting that their names be made public.

The British socialite and heiress’s lawyers have requested that the Manhattan Federal Court publicly name “individuals who have spoken on the public record,” according to Newsweek.

Attorney Gloria Allred told the Daily Caller News Foundation Wednesday that the motion should be denied, since Maxwell’s defense “does not appear to provide any legal reason why the defense would benefit from revealing the names of victims.”

Allred, who noted that she represents 20 different Epstein victims, said that if the victims have already spoken on the public record using their names, then their names are already public. If unnamed victims are witnesses at the trial, then the defense can ask these witnesses about their public statements during the trial, she said.

“At this point the motion by the defense may be perceived as an effort to harass victims and intimidate them, neither of which should be permitted in a court of law,” Allred said.

Some of the clients Allred represents allege that they are Maxwell victims and have had contact with Maxwell, Allred told the DCNF. Allred represents victims of discrimination based on sex, race, age, physical handicap, and sexual orientation and has represented clients in a number of high profile sexual abuse cases.

Maxwell was arrested by the FBI at 8:30 a.m. July 2 in Bradford, New Hampshire. A grand jury for the U.S. District Court of Southern New York indicted Maxwell on charges of conspiracy to entice minors to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors to these illegal sex acts, transportation of a minor to engage in illegal sex acts, and perjury.

U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan denied bail to Maxwell during a virtual hearing in July, saying “the risks are simply too great” to allow Maxwell to be released.