Ghislaine Maxwell’s family being treated ‘like royalty’ while I was left outside in cold outside court, says accuser

AN alleged victim of Ghislaine Maxwell has hit out after she was forced to wait in the cold to enter her trial – while the socialite’s family were escorted “like royalty”. Liz Stein, 48, who says she was abused by the Briton and Jeffrey Epstein for three years, has been forced to take a two-hour bus ride to the Manhattan trial from her home in Philadelphia. The Mega Agency Kevin and Isabel Maxwell, the brother and sister of Ghislaine Maxwell[/caption] ReutersGhislaine Maxwell sits as the jury continues to deliberate[/caption] She often has to wait in line outside then sit at the back of an overflow courtroom to watch proceedings – as a jury weighs up six sex trafficking charges against the English heiress. Meanwhile, Maxwell’s siblings are allowed to go straight inside and sit in court every day. Ms Stein told the Miami Herald: “We have to wait and wait to get in the back row of an overflow courtroom – and Maxwell’s sister and brothers are ushered into the courtroom every day like royalty. “It’s hard to understand why the family of an accused sex abuser gets a front-row seat when the victims can’t even get into the courtroom.” A New York jury were yesterday on their fifth day of deliberations in Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial, which could see her jailed for up to 70 years. Judge Alison Nathan expressed concern about the “astronomical spike” of Covid cases in New York and said she may ask jurors to work over their allotted hours, saying the trial was now “at risk”. Most read in News RAVEHEARTS Thousands of Scots prepare to cross border on NYE to escape Sturgeon clampdown 'MUCH-LOVED' Tributes to dad killed in Xmas Day stabbing, as man, 34, charged with murder FENCED IN Travellers TRAP locals in their own homes as they barricade road with 20 caravans TEACHER SHAME Maths teacher, 29, jailed for bringing two pupils, 16, to hotel room for sex DOUBLE TRAGEDY Dad killed in Boxing Day stabbing had already lost brother, 19, in crash ICE ICE BABY Dragons' Den millionaires slammed my idea - now it's worth £86MILLION Maxwell is accused of procuring women, some of them underage, for the sex ring operated by her boyfriend Epstein, and also taking part in abuse. Ms Stein has been sat at her trial with a backpack containing two Victoria’s Secret nightgowns and a black Escada ball gown, which she says were given to her by Maxwell and Epstein. She was a 21-year-old college student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1994 – when she met Maxwell while working an internship at Henri Bendel, a luxury women’s store in Manhattan. She said: “We hit it off immediately, she was very engaging – which is something we’ve heard from other victims. “I called Maxwell’s office to arrange the delivery of her items, and I was instructed to bring them to a hotel in midtown Manhattan. “When I got to the hotel, I went to drop them off at the concierge, but was told to take them into the bar, where she was sitting with Jeffrey Epstein.” The pair, she says, expressed interest in her fashion career and invited her to their room. Ms Stein told the Miami Herald: “It was the first time they assaulted me. They were dazzling. They made me feel like there was no one else in the universe but me.” She was abused by them off and on for three years, she said, but kept things a secret. ‘SICKENED’ Ms Stein added: “These are secrets I kept for decades and couldn’t tell anyone. When Epstein was arrested and all over the news, I realized that it wasn’t just me. “That’s part of the shame – you think these things just happened to you. “I was sickened to find out how many more women this happened to…what keeps coming up about the culture of silence is so incredibly true. “The emotional manipulation is just not something that you can describe to someone – it’s not anything that makes any kind of rational sense – it’s a fear that you still have decades later.” Ms Stein said Maxwell and Epstein promised to connect her with the right people in the fashion industry. She added: “I reeled in the aftermath of what happened for decades afterwards. It altered the course of my life.” Ms Stein wrote to the US attorney’s victim coordinator on November 23, before the trial started, to request a spot to watch. The next day she received a terse response claiming she was “not listed as a victim”. She said: “I think it’s horrible. It’s horrible. Anyone who is a victim of this crime needs be treated with at least the same respect as the defendant’s family – at least the same respect.” ReutersIsabel and Christine Maxwell, sisters of Ghislaine Maxwell, arrive as jury deliberations continue[/caption] PAFamily friend Leah Saffian arriving at the federal courthouse for the trial[/caption]