Ghislaine Maxwell Guilty.. What does this mean for Andrew?

[InkyPinkyParlezVous]

Any thoughts?

@Pollingbadly

She's been used as a scapegoat by powerful rich men. I mean she's guilty

The last four words of this are the only significant ones IMO. Deal with the other culprits separately by all means but GM is not the victim here, as you imply. She is responsible for victimising children with horrific consequences. By all means judge them all as they deserve but don't start pretending she's a victim of anything. She's a perpetrator.

Well said.

I think this verdict may encourage more victims to come forward, thus increasing the chance that more charges will be brought against others.

Of course she’s guilty. However, it’s incredibly ironic that she is thus far the only person convicted when she, herself doesn’t have the ability to commit rape. Idk what it means for Andrew. I can imagine he’s running scared though.

If Charles doesn't cut him off, William definitely will. From what I've heard, the latter has zero time for him now.

I think PA considers himself untouchable and above the law; I don’t think for one second that the Queen will allow her favourite son to be tried in court, at whatever cost.
Thank goodness that those poor girls have some kind of justice, I just wish that all the men involved were lined up before the courts. Unfortunately they’re all wealthy individuals who will be able to pay their way out of the sh1t.

It makes it even more difficult for anyone to pretend that Andrew is innocent. I mean, we now have a picture of him taken by a convicted sex offender, standing beside a convicted sex trafficker, with his arm around one of their underage victims.

I very much hope he will get his comeuppance.

I'm surprised that more of Epstein's "friends" haven't been named. Hopefully this verdict will encourage more women to come forward.

I think now the real negotiations will start. She could be facing the rest of her life in prison, or she could be out in a few years if she cooperates. I hope her loyalty now disappears to these vile men.

Prince Andrew will be protected by the Queen as much as possible, but I wouldn't be surprised if he met with an accident.

@Wizzbangfizz

Does anyone else think she is paying for the sons of men? I'm open to be dissuaded on this but it sickens me no man has stood trial

I agree.

I do of course agree she's guilty and should be punished. But I also think that now 'someone' has paid there'll be less motivation to hold the men accountable.

With the evidence they have, it's unthinkable that there aren't strong cases against men like Andrew, Dershowitz, Trump, Clinton, Gates etc

But their maleness, money and power makes then untouchable in a way that Ghislaine was not

She does not get a pass for a dysfunctional life, and a dominate, cruel and abusive father
Exactly this.
If one of the girls she trafficked had had this happen to her she would take advantage as it would make her an easier victim.

I don't think mentioning her background excuses her? Context is always interesting in these cases.

Hopefully the heat will turn up on Prince Andrew. Did anyone see his face when some random lady was banging on his window in Windsor? I wonder what she was saying.
It's cast the rf in an appalling light.

Flick like we see time and time again, people stand by their children no matter what!

@Maskless

I think he is innocent.

You think the man standing in a photograph taken by a convicted sex offender at the home of another convicted sex offender with his arm around a trafficking victim is innocent?

You think the man who regularly stayed with, and socialised with sex offenders and their trafficked victims including flying to their private island is innocent?

You genuinely believe he had no idea that he was consorting with sex offenders and their victims?

That he has an inability to sweat due to his Falkland's trauma (despite this not ever being a described condition)?

So you genuinely believe all of those things @maskless?

It's interesting the level of cognitive dissonance that folk engage in in order to prop up institutional oppression by the monarchy

Weren't his daughters front row at Kate's Carol service?

Sorry...the quote disappeared. Prince Andrew's daughters

@maskless ... why on earth do you think Prince Andrew is innocent? Please help me understand. Even his mother has removed him from his job as a royal so must believe he is guilty

What has pa daughters being front row have to do with anything

To an extent I can understand the Queen protecting him, sort of.

I don't understand his daughters, let alone his ex-wife, being so supportive of him. I couldn't feel the same about my Dad if I knew all this about him.

And what the hell is Fergie thinking?

If nothing else, pictures of Maxwell and Epstein swanning around in a royal residence should do for PA who must have vouched for these people.

Sorry.... that seemed like such a weird comment without the quote. My apologies.

Someone up thread commented that Charles would disown Andrew when he's King. And someone else commented that they hope the same for Sarah and Andrews daughters

It seems to me that Andrews girls are well accepted by William and Kate (Carol service front row)

You know when you start a thought process on a thread and then REALLY wish you hadn't? 🤣😅

It's an incredibly high bar to prove sexual abuse, and in the US there are a lot of rape kits that haven't even been tested, which I find really shocking (although the rape conviction rate here is equally dire). I imagine that the difference with GM is that she was involved with several of the women who testified, so the level of evidence is that much greater. Even then the jury deliberated for quite a while.

If the men involved only slept with, say, one of the victims who've come forward, would there be enough evidence to find them guilty beyond reasonable doubt? I'm happy to be proved wrong by someone who's followed the evidence more closely than I have.

I'm thrilled that at least the women have had some kind of vindication. JE is dead and GM has been convicted. I hope, along with the Weinstein conviction, it sends a message to the rich and powerful that they can't just use young women in this way.

@Dustyblue

To an extent I can understand the Queen protecting him, sort of.

I don't understand his daughters, let alone his ex-wife, being so supportive of him. I couldn't feel the same about my Dad if I knew all this about him.

And what the hell is Fergie thinking?

I imagine she is thinking about how she can continue to carry on her money grubbing ways. She’s been devoid of morals for a long time

Charles won't have enough support to continue to support his brother when he is monarch. So maybe then the FBI will get their man. Wishful thinking. It depends how much Charles wants to save the monarchy vs saving his brother.

I also think it stinks that out of all the men who actually had sex with these young girls only a woman goes to gaol. It absolutely is possible to be guilty and a scape goat if you are the one going down but others aren't.