Ghislaine Maxwell will remain in her New York prison cell after the former British socialite was denied bail for the fifth time on Wednesday at the US 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.
The 59-year-old was jailed last summer after being charged with trafficking underage girls to be abused by her former associate, Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who killed himself in prison as he was awaiting trial for alleged sex trafficking.
Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and other charges, but could face up to 80 years in jail if convicted over the alleged crimes, which are said to have taken place between 1994 and 2004.
The court also denied her request for a hearing on her prison conditions, although did not specify reasons for the refusal.
Her lawyers have frequently raised concerns for her welfare behind bars, and in April, released a picture apparently showing her with a bruised face after her fourth bail application was denied.
They have also complained that she has suffered drastic weight loss, her hair has fallen out, and that prison guards at the Brooklyn jail where she is being detained have left her sleep-deprived by shining flashlights into her cell at night.
Reuters reported on Wednesday it had received an email from Maxwell’s lawyer, David Markus, in which he said she is “subjected to more grueling conditions than any other inmate.”
He also alleged guards at the jail had chosen to “torture” Maxwell.
Prosecutors have previously denied similar allegations. Maxwell’s legal team claims that her alleged poor condition means she is hindered in preparing for her trial in Manhattan, which has been pushed back to November.
