The family of Virginia Giuffre, who was a vocal accuser of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, have been speaking publicly about Giuffre’s legacy, Maxwell’s request for clemency and the Epstein files.
Giuffre, who claimed Epstein and Maxwell began abusing her when she was 16 years old, died by suicide in April. Now, her sister-in-law Amanda Roberts is calling for transparency in the Epstein case and speaking out against the possibility that President Trump could grant Maxwell a pardon.
“People need to see the real truth and the humans that were actually affected by this … those are the testimonies that need to come to the forefront and come to light,” she said in an interview Wednesday with “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. “It would be a travesty, it makes me sick, it makes survivors sick, it’s a slap in the face, the idea that she (Maxwell) could potentially get a pardon. Survivors are saying no, no to leniency. No to a pardon. Will you silence them again?”
Maxwell would be willing to testify before Congress about Epstein — whose death in jail in 2019 was ruled a suicide — if Mr. Trump pardoned her or commuted her sentence, according to a letter from her attorney that was recently obtained by CBS News. Mr. Trump said late last month that he hadn’t thought about pardoning her, but that he was “allowed to do it.”
“For me I think it’s, why are we listening to a known perjurer?” said Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, referring to Maxwell. “I mean, I think if anybody needs to be heard it’s the survivors. They should have a voice. They should have a platform to be able to stand on. I think we need to be listening to the other side of things, which is the survivors and their voices, help elevate those.”
Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for child sex trafficking and other crimes linked to Epstein. Giuffre’s accusations were not part of the case that led to Maxwell’s conviction, which Maxwell is currently appealing.
Giuffre told CBS News in 2020 that she believed Maxwell was the mastermind behind the pair’s crimes.
“In conversations with Virginia, she really described Ghislaine as almost this puppet master, that she kind of was the brains behind recruiting the girls and really used her womanhood to build that trust and lure these girls in,” Amanda Roberts said.
Maxwell “was an active participant in the abuse – the physical and destructive abuse,” Amanda Roberts said. “She was an active participant and a ringleader in this.”
Amanda Roberts said she feels that the survivors are being forgotten and added that she and Sky Roberts would be willing to speak with the Trump administration or law enforcement officials regarding the Epstein case.
“I think we would be the first ones to show up and give our sister’s testimony and remind people why she (Maxwell) needs to be behind jails and the correct facility,” she said.
Maxwell was recently transferred from a federal correctional facility in Florida to a facility in Texas. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the facility in Bryan, Texas, is considered minimum security.
“The punishment should fit the crime and right now, where she currently is, does not fit the crime,” Amanda Roberts said.
As for Giuffre, Sky Roberts wants her to be remembered for her powerful voice, saying, “she was also a mom. She was a sister. She was you know … a friend, a daughter and so I think … she would want survivors to still be able to build off that platform which is why we’re coming forward because she can’t speak for herself now.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
