Maxwell's team are requesting a retrial just weeks after their client was found guilty of sex trafficking.

*Content warning - this article contains reference to sexual abuse. The legal team representing Ghislaine Maxwell have formally requested a new trial. As reported by Reuters, Maxwell's lawyers are looking for a retrial after it was determined that one of the jurors in the case was sexually abused as a child. Perspective jurors were asked to disclose whether they were victims of sexual abuse before they were selected. According to Reuters, the juror said that they cannot remember the question, but that they would have answered honestly if asked. In a letter sent to Judge Alison Nathan, Maxwell's lawyer Bobbi Sternheim said: "Today, counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell filed her Motion For A New Trial (the "motion") and accompanying exhibits under seal. "For the reasons set forth in the motion, we request that all submissions pertaining to Juror No 50 remain under seal until the court rules on the motion." Earlier this month, Maxwell's lawyer said that the issue regarding the juror presents "incontrovertible grounds for a new trial". On 29 December, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was the former partner of the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was convicted on five counts of sex trafficking. She had been accused of recruiting and grooming teenagers for Epstein to molest between 1994 and 2004. Maxwell could face up to 65 years in prison. She will face sentencing at a hearing on 28 June. Over the years, Maxwell's involvement with Epstein has been the subject of numerous documentaries. Epstein himself died in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his sentencing. His death was ruled a suicide. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, support is available. You can contact the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on 1800 77 8888.