One of Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s accusers is \u201cecstatic\u201d over Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s arrest, as the British socialite also allegedly sexually abused her and left her with night \u2026<\/b>
\nOne of Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s accusers is \u201cecstatic\u201d over Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s arrest, as the British socialite also allegedly sexually abused her and left her with night terrors, the woman told The Post in an exclusive interview.
\u201cWhen I woke up to the news, I was extremely ecstatic,\u201d the 43-year-old victim, who is one of nine anonymous plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Epstein\u2019s estate, told The Post.
Epstein\u2019s alleged madame was arrested early Thursday in Bradford, N. H. on a federal indictment accusing her of grooming three underage victims for sex with Epstein in places including his Upper East Side townhouse, New Mexico, Florida and London.
The victim, who is choosing to conceal her identity, said: \u201cI\u2019m so grateful that she has finally been taken into custody and that the authorities have started working on bringing justice for the victims and myself.
\u201cShe deserves to be behind bars. I\u2019m very happy and very emotional at the same time. It\u2019s just a roller coaster of emotions.\u201d
The woman added that it is especially meaningful to her because she claims that Maxwell,58, personally sexually abused her after grooming her for Epstein with the abuse starting when she was 14 and continuing until she was 17 in the mid to late 1990s.
\u201cShe participated in the sexual abuse with Epstein. She was involved,\u201d the victim alleged. \u201cShe penetrated me with sexual toys, with her fingers. She shaved my private area so that it was in the shape of the heart because she said men thought it was cute.\u201d
Witnesses in Virginia Giuffre\u2019s defamation case against Maxwell testified that Maxwell participated in three-way sex with Epstein and various victims including with Giuffre.
And before that, the victim claims Ghislaine \u201cgroomed\u201d her when she was just 14.
\u201cI wanted to be in modeling and that was the carrot dangling in front of me,\u201d the woman said. \u201cAnd if I wanted to be in modeling\u2026 I had to basically work my way to the top and that was doing things for Epstein.\u201d
The woman said she wishes there were even more serious charges mounted against Maxwell.
\u201cIn my case, I feel that she should have charges the same as Jeffrey Epstein had. They were co-conspirators. They were side by side,\u201d she said.
Epstein killed himself by hanging in a Lower Manhattan jail cell as he was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
\u201cI am extremely excited that she is behind bars,\u201d the victim said. \u201cI\u2019m not going to be overlooked anymore. What happened to me legitimately happened and to many others and we can finally have our voices heard.\u201d
The abuse has had crippling effects on the woman to this day, including night terrors and causing the break-up of one of her three marriages, she said.
\u201cIt basically changed the trajectory of my life and it still effects me to this day. The things I had gone through with them, with her, the things that she has done to me,\u201d she said.
\u201cI have night terrors, it affects my marriage, it has affected my relationship with my children because some days I have emotional break-downs where I just can\u2019t be the baseball, soccer mom all the time.
\u201cWhere I\u2019m in my bedroom hiding because I\u2019m shutting down and that\u2019s something that I\u2019m obviously working on with a therapist,\u201d she said adding that she also takes antidepressants and anxiety medications.
But the night terrors have been the worst for her, she said, and contributed to the break-up of her second marriage.
\u201cWaking up in the middle of the night screaming thinking that I\u2019m back in the clutches of Ms. Maxwell and Mr. Epstein,\u201d she described.
\u201cI believe she should be behind bars for the rest of her life,\u201d the victim said of Maxwell. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll ever feel safe or satisfied because obviously I can\u2019t erase that portion of my life. I can only go through it but it\u2019s a difficult process.\u201d
The woman\u2019s lawyer, Jordan Merson, told The Post, \u201cOn behalf of the Epstein victims we are thrilled that Ms. Maxwell has been brought to justice and we look forward to seeing her be held accountable for all that she has done.\u201d
Another Epstein accuser, Jennifer Araoz, who has sued Maxwell as well as the 66-year-old hedge-funder\u2019s estate, told The Post the new arrest could help bring other Epstein conspirators to justice.
\u201cI honestly think that this is just the very beginning,\u201d said Araoz, who claims she was raped by Epstein when she was just 15. \u201cThere is going to be a lot of culpability and a lot that will come down from her being arrested. It looks good for us survivors for all of us to get some closure finally.\u201d
\u201cI really didn\u2019t think [her arrest] was going to come. I have been searching for her for a very long time,\u201d Araoz said.
Maxwell\u2019s criminal defense attorney, Lawrence Vogelman, declined to comment.
Additional reporting by Rebecca Rosenberg<\/p>\n