By Luc Cohen

(Reuters) – A U.S. decide has granted British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell permission to name a psychologist who makes a speciality of how recollections can grow to be distorted over time to testify at her trial on intercourse abuse expenses.

Legal professionals for Maxwell, who’s accused by prosecutors of recruiting and grooming underage women for the late financier Jeffrey Epstein to abuse, have mentioned they deliberate to name American psychologist Elizabeth Loftus to testify about “false recollections https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ghislaine-maxwell-challenge-claims-she-groomed-underage-girls-epstein-2021-11-08” of sexual abuses that individuals might describe with confidence with out intentionally mendacity.

Loftus, a professor on the College of California, Irvine, has testified at a whole lot of trials, together with as a protection witness in actual property inheritor Robert Durst’s homicide trial and former film producer Harvey Weinstein https://www.reuters.com/article/people-harvey-weinstein-idUKL1N2A71QC’s trial on rape and sexual assault expenses. Each have been convicted.

U.S. District Decide Alison Nathan in Manhattan mentioned she would permit Loftus’ testimony in an order launched on Monday. Opening statements within the trial start on Nov. 29.

Federal prosecutors had requested Nathan to limit Loftus’ testimony, calling a few of her opinions “unreliable.”

Particularly, they cited her opinion that info individuals hear about an occasion can alter their recollections of that occasion.

Nathan mentioned she would admit some testimony from Loftus and Park Dietz, one other psychologist the protection has provided as an professional, with out saying which testimony was admissible.

Dietz is predicted to rebut the testimony of prosecution witness Lisa Rocchio, a psychologist anticipated to debate how underage sexual abuse victims are “groomed” by their predators.

Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not responsible to eight counts of intercourse trafficking and different crimes.

Prosecutors have mentioned Maxwell inspired women to offer Epstein “sexualized massages.”

Epstein died by suicide at 66 in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell whereas awaiting trial on intercourse abuse allegations.