By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) – Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorneys cross-examine her accusers. They face the hard task of casting doubts on their credibility while not being too aggressive towards women who claim they were abused. Legal experts agree.

Prosecutors accuse the British socialite, Maxwell of recruiting girls for sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his Manhattan prison cell while waiting to face sex abuse allegations. Maxwell has pleaded no guilty.

Maxwell’s counsel have already cross-examined three women named as victims of the indictment and are now questioning them at the trial.

The witnesses were questioned about their credibility and asked about any inconsistencies in the statements made by them to the police. Two of the women also inquired about previous drug use.

Experts say that accusers should not be pursued aggressively, as this could lead to backfires and discrediting the jury.

Daniel Hochheiser (a New York Criminal Defense Attorney and Former Prosecutor) stated, “Any competent defense attorney would attempt to challenge these young women’s credibility, but in doing this you really need to walk a tightrope to ensure that the jury does not hate you.”

Defense lawyers in recent high-profile sexual abuse trials, including those of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and R&B star R. Kelly, aggressively questioned their clients’ accusers, suggesting they were lying for financial gain and highlighting inconsistencies in their past statements.

The convictions of both men are not clear, but it’s unclear what the jurors thought about defense attorneys’ questions.

Hochheiser claimed that Maxwell’s attorneys had made Maxwell’s task easier because Epstein was only responsible for shifting blame, while Maxwell was portrayed as an “unwitting companion.” This is in contrast to denying that any women were abused. He said that jurors had to be able to question the truthfulness of witnesses.

Bennett Gershman is a Pace Law School professor who called the attack on accusers “huge,” but stated that Maxwell’s lawyers might have to continue the offense in the hopes that one or more of the women will self-incriminate.

Gershman stated that “these witnesses were very credible.” The defense is well aware that the testimony they are giving is very powerful. It is possible that you cannot blunt their forceful testimony by attacking them.

Deborah Tuerkheimer from Northwestern University School of Law says that despite all the dangers, the defense’s approach to a sexual abuse case is not uncommon.

Tuerkheimer stated that “we’re programmed in a culture of being skeptical about these types of allegations”, and so defense attorneys are using tried-and-true tactics that have worked well in court.