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Jeffrey Epstein victim Annie Farmer condemned former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell for her “hollow” apology to the victims in court.
Maxwell, sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison, assisted convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in his efforts to sexually abuse underage girls by recruiting and grooming them.
One of Epstein’s victims, Farmer, testified at Maxwell’s trial, breaking her silence to share her thoughts on the go and respond to the sentencing on Wednesday’s “CBS Mornings.”
“It was a very intense day emotionally, but it was also a huge relief to hear that sentence read and know that she will spend most of her life behind bars for the crimes she committed,” she said.
GHISLAINE MAXWELL, AND JEFFREY EPSTEIN COHORT, ARE WITH 20 YEARS OF SEX-TRAFFIC TEEN GIRLS
In this sketch, a witness testifies under the pseudonym “Kate” while Judge Alison Nathan, seated far left, listens. A photo of Ghislaine Maxwell is shown on screen, far right, during testimony at the Maxwell sexual abuse trial, Monday, December 6, 2021, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP | Photo of the United Nations/Rick Bajornas via AP)
The farmer told host Gayle King that she issued her victim statement to the judge in hopes she would consider the “long-term effects” of the sexual abuse crimes committed by Epstein and Maxwell.
WIFE MOVES GHISLAINE MAXWELL RAPED HER ’20-30 TIMES’; WILLING TO WITNESS: ‘SHE’S JUST AS BAD AS JEFFREY EPSTEIN’
“I wanted her to understand that there are systemic effects of it [crimes]that it is not just about those individuals, but also other loved ones and the pain and suffering that communities are going through as a result of these crimes,” she emphasized.
In this courtroom sketch, Annie Farmer testifies on the witness stand at the Ghislaine Maxwell sexual abuse trial Friday, December 10, 2021, in New York. A photo of Maxwell appears on a screen in the foreground. (Elizabeth Williams via AP) (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
One of the most terrifying aspects of the trial was that Farmer noted Maxwell’s blatant lack of remorse for her misdeeds, saying that her continued deceit and the relentless efforts to fight for justice created a “black hole” for victims like themselves.
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Surprised that Maxwell spoke after her conviction, Farmer echoed the shock of others involved, especially upon hearing Maxwell’s apology.
“I didn’t think it was an apology. She didn’t take any responsibility. She acknowledged that there was pain and suffering, but she didn’t take responsibility for causing it, so it felt very hollow to me and the other women I spoke to afterward,” she said.
Farmer, who took the stand and testified openly at trial after previous accusers used pseudonyms, said she made several attempts to make eye contact with Maxwell during her impact statement, saying her perpetrator kept looking away.
Taylor Penley is a production assistant at Fox News.
