New York prosecutors have given renewed hope to accusers of Jeffrey Epstein that justice may yet be served, sitting down with them amid increasing speculation that British heiress Ghislaine Maxwell could still be charged.

Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, met behind closed doors with the some of the 16 women who spoke in court on Tuesday.

Mr Berman was “very encouraging”, one of those present at the meeting told The Telegraph, and the women were heartened by what they heard.

Several of the dozens of women to accuse Epstein of abuse told prosecutors in Tuesday’s hearing that they were trapped in a web created by both Epstein and Miss Maxwell, his long-time companion.

She is alleged in court documents to have served as a recruiter for Epstein, luring young women to visit him under false pretences, and facilitating his abuse of the vulnerable girls.