Ghislaine Maxwell is "prepared" to take the witness stand in her sex trafficking trial in a bid "to save her own life", The Mail on Sunday reports.

The 59-year-old socialite, whose trial begins in New York tomorrow (November 29), said she "will do whatever it takes" to prove her innocence at her trial.

A source close to Maxwell told the paper: "Ghislaine is absolutely prepared to take the stand. She is prepared to do whatever it takes to save her own life. She has never shied away from the truth and she is looking forward to her day in court."

The move would be atypical of a defendant's usual role in a high-profile sex abuse case - as they typically opt out of giving evidence and instead have their lawyers argue on their behalf.

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Maxwell, who faces life in prison if found guilty of the charges, will make her case to the jurors if it is deemed necessary by her legal team.

"Ghislaine is not over-confident by any means but she knows she is telling the truth," the source added. "She has no fear about getting in the witness box."

Maxwell is accused of helping billionaire financier Epstein abuse underage girls between 1994 and 2004. She denies all charges against her.

Since she was arrested in July 2020 at her New Hampshire home, she has denied any involvement in the incidents of sex trafficking that her now-deceased ex-partner, Epstein, was accused of.

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Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to all charges, telling The Mail on Sunday: "I am innocent."

Earlier this week, Maxwell's siblings petitioned the United Nations to try and get her released from jail ahead of her sex trafficking trial.

Her siblings - three sisters, and three brothers - hired international criminal lawyers François Zimeray and Jessica Finelle to file a legal claim with the UN.

According to the lawyers, since she has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, Maxwell has been subjected to conditions that are "abnormally rigorous."

The legal filing urged the UN to call on the US government to release Maxwell and to open up an investigation into her "arbitrary detention."

Featured image credit: WENN Rights Ltd / Alamy

Ghislaine Maxwell is 'prepared to take the stand' in her sex trafficking trial 'to save her own life'