The family of one of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s victims has asked US President Donald Trump not to consider pardoning the late financier’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life,” said the family of the late Virginia Giuffre.
Their statement also questioned Trump’s recent remark that Epstein “stole people that worked for me”, including Giuffre, who was once an employee at the president’s Florida golf club, Mar-a-Lago.
Trump has recently faced questions over his historical friendship with Epstein, including whether he might pardon Maxwell. He has never been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in the matter.
The BBC has contacted the White House for comment on the Giuffre family remarks.
In a statement, family members Sky and Amanda Roberts and Danny and Lanette Wilson said they were still “reeling” from Giuffre’s suicide in April.
Trump made his allegation that Epstein had poached his employees during remarks to reporters on board Air Force One on Tuesday.
He said one of that group had been Giuffre.
Giuffre had said in a 2016 court deposition that she began working at Mar-a-Lago in the summer of 2000, when she was 16.
In their statement, her family members said they “would like to clarify” that their sister was “preyed upon” by Maxwell during her time working for Trump.
They said this was in 2000, four years before Trump and Epstein reportedly fell out.
“It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been ‘stolen’ from Mar-a-Lago,” wrote the family.
“It makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal actions.”
Giuffre’s family also condemned federal prosecutors for recently holding meetings with Maxwell at the Florida jail where she is serving a 20-year sentence.
They said Maxwell had already been convicted for lying under oath and “will continue to do so for as long as it affects her position”.
“A predator who thought only of herself, she destroyed the lives of girls and young women without conscience,” Giuffre’s family said.
“Virginia always said that Ghislaine Maxwell was vicious and could often be more cruel than Epstein.”
They also said Giuffre’s ordeal had continued as she helped prosecutors.
“She endured death threats, threats against the lives of her children and family, financial ruin, and her physical and mental well-being were destroyed,” they said.
They called on Trump to “never consider giving Ghislaine Maxwell any leniency”.
The statement ended: “She must remain in prison – anything less would go down in history as being one of the highest travesties of justice.”
Last week, Trump was asked whether he was considering granting clemency to Maxwell. He said he had “not thought” about it.
Maxwell is being interviewed by justice department officials as part of an effort by the Trump administration to quell the backlash it has faced over its handling of files relating to Epstein.
The former British socialite recently spent two days in talks with the department’s second-highest ranking official, Todd Blanche.
Maxwell’s lawyers have said she is willing to testify to Congress if she is granted immunity from future prosecution.
The Trump administration has faced pressure to release files related to Epstein after failing to disclose a rumoured client list of the disgraced financier.
In 2006, Epstein was indicted in Florida for solicitation of prostitution and later pleaded guilty to the charges.
He was arrested in 2019 over federal charges of sex trafficking, and died by suicide in prison before his trial.
The White House has said that Trump banned Epstein from his club because he was a “creep”.
Other reports say they fell out in 2004 over a Palm Beach oceanfront property when Trump ultimately outbid Epstein for the real estate.
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