Ghislaine Maxwell. "Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life," said the family of the late Virginia Giuffre. Their statement also questioned Trump's recent remark that Epstein "stole people that worked for me", including Giuffre, who was once an employee at the president's Florida golf club, Mar-a-Lago.

Trump has recently faced questions over his historical friendship with Epstein, including whether he might pardon Maxwell. He has never been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in the matter. The BBC has contacted the White House for comment on the Giuffre family remarks. In a statement, family members Sky and Amanda Roberts and Danny and Lanette Wilson said that they were still "reeling" from Giuffre's suicide in April.

Trump made his allegation that Epstein had poached his employees during remarks to reporters on board Air Force One last Tuesday. He said one of that group had been Giuffre. Giuffre had said in a 2016 court deposition that she began working at Mar-a-Lago in the summer of 2000, when she was 16. In their statement, her family members said they "would like to clarify" that their sister was "preyed upon" by Maxwell during her time working for Trump.

They said this was in 2000, four years before Trump and Epstein reportedly fell out. "It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been 'stolen' from Mar-a-Lago," wrote the family. "It makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal actions." Giuffre's family also condemned federal prosecutors for recently holding meetings with Maxwell at the Florida jail where she is serving a 20-year sentence. They said Maxwell had already been convicted for lying under oath and "will continue to do so for as long as it affects her position". "A predator who thought only of herself, she destroyed the lives of girls and young women without conscience," Giuffre's family said. "Virginia always said that Ghislaine Maxwell was vicious and could often be more cruel than Epstein." They also said Giuffre's ordeal had continued as she helped prosecutors. (BBC/ Getty Images)