London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

Ghislaine Maxwell's defense calls on 'false memories' expert in sex abuse trial

Ghislaine Maxwell's defense calls on 'false memories' expert in sex abuse trial

Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers began making their case on Thursday at her trial on sex abuse charges, calling a psychologist to testify about false memories in a bid to undercut accounts of four women who say Maxwell set them up for abuse by financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The four women testified for the prosecution that Maxwell, a British socialite, had a central role in grooming them as teenagers for their sexual encounters with Epstein. He died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges.

Maxwell's defense said they could finish their case by the end of this week.

Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of sex trafficking and other charges. Her attorneys argue that the memories of the four accusers have become corrupted over the years. The alleged abuse took place between 1994 and 2004, according to a 2021 indictment.

On Thursday, Elizabeth Loftus, a psychology professor at the University of California, Irvine, testified that people can confidently recall events that never happened and told the jury about experiments in which she and colleagues had successfully planted false memories in study participants' minds.

"Even traumatic experiences can be subjected to post-event suggestion," Loftus said. "False memories ... can be very vivid, detailed. People can be confident about them, people can be emotional about them, even though they're false."

Loftus, who said she was being compensated $600 per hour for her time, has been a witness or consultant for hundreds of trials, including those of Harvey Weinstein and O.J. Simpson.

Maxwell's lawyers have said the accusers did not mention Maxwell during initial talks with law enforcement, and Loftus' testimony could help them argue that their memories of Maxwell's involvement was shaped by news reports or questions FBI agents asked them. They say prosecutors are using Maxwell as a stand-in for Epstein.

U.S. prosecutor Lara Pomerantz sought to portray Loftus' work as irrelevant to the Maxwell case.

"Have you conducted a study where you arranged for girls to be sexually abused?" Pomerantz asked.

"No, absolutely not," Loftus replied, adding that she had never conducted a study in which she attempted to implant a false memory of sexual abuse either.

Jurors earlier on Thursday heard from Cimberly Espinosa, a former Maxwell executive assistant from 1996 to 2002 who testified that she never saw Maxwell or Epstein engage in inappropriate behavior with underage girls.

Maxwell was an employee of Epstein's at the time, helping to manage his numerous personal properties. The two were initially a couple, though their romantic relationship later fizzled, said Espinosa, who recalled Maxwell as a demanding boss whom she nonetheless admired.

"I highly respected Ghislaine," Espinosa said. "I looked up to her very much."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×