Lucia Osborne Crowley is a British born, Australian writer. She is a journalist, essayist and author as well as a legal researcher. She has contributed articles to the Guardian as well as Meanjin and is currently a legal journalist for Law 360. THE LASTING HARM (publisher Allen and Unwin) is her third book. Her first, I ChooseElena, was an account of her horrific experience of sexual violence as a teenager and as the victim of sexual abuse by a trusted mentor as a young girl and the effects of this on her life. Her second, My Body Keeps Your Secrets, won The Somerset Maugham award. It is also an account of the long-term physical effects of trauma and abuse.
In this work Lucia Osborne Crowley continues to explore these themes. This book is about the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, sentenced to 20 years jail in December 2021 for her role in the trafficking and abuse of underage girls together with Jeffrey Epstein. Lucia Osbourne Crowley attended Maxwell’s trial. We have all read of the arrest and demise of Epstein and the stories of his massive crimes with his wife Ghislaine have horrified us all. I followed the story like a voyeur from afar, fascinated and repulsed at the same time – how could these privileged people, these wealthy, glamorous people do these terrible things? The facts of the case are well known to us all.
The prosecution’s case in Maxwell’s trial depended largely onthe testimonies of four of the victims. Osborne- Crowley focuses on the testimonies of these courageous women and their stories and the four testimonies of Jane, Carolyn, Annie,and Kate form the core of this book. These four women are the heroes of this story. They stepped up, told their stories, each of which was harrowing. They had to recall the most traumatic moments of their lives, the damage they suffered in the years following and how the abuse they suffered from Maxwell and Epstein robbed them of any chance to achieve their dreams and ambitions. They then had to endure the relentless questioning of Maxwell’s defense lawyers questioning the veracity of their stories and their motives in coming forward. Osborn-Crowley is of course not a detached observer here and the effect on her well-being through reporting on the trial also forms an important part of this narrative. Through her we come to understand the lifetime effects of these terrible crimes on their innocent victims. She makes an enthusiastic case for modifying the recall required for victims of abuse.
Lucia Osbourne Crowley’s description of the testimonies, cross examinations, and court proceedings and how Maxwells collusion and guilt were established provide for fascinating reading. She is a skilled storyteller. While the book has its flaws – it is at times repetitive, a little clunky and I think leaves out some interesting details such as Maxwells own back story, I found it very readable, The stories of these victims and the compassion and empathy of Lucia Osbourne Crowley for each of them stayed with me long after I finished the book. I think most would find it an interesting read.
