Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial begins in New York City

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has appeared in a New York City court to face sex trafficking charges.She is expected to challenge claims she groomed underage girls for convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein for sexual abuse. He died in prison in 2019. Ms Maxwell, 59, has been in a US jail since her arrest last year, awaiting the high-profile six-week trial. Ms Maxwell, who also has American and French citizenship, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her. Lawyers for Ms Maxwell, as well as family members, have repeatedly complained about her conditions in jail and her legal team has made several unsuccessful applications for bail. Epstein died in a New York prison cell on 10 August 2019 as he awaited his trial on sex trafficking charges.(BBC)…[+]