Daily US Times: Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell have released a photo of her face which appears to show bruising under her left eye.

The British socialite told her lawyers the bruise might be from shielding her eyes from the light, adding that the guards come to check her condition every 15 minutes.

Ms Maxwell is accused of helping convicted paedophile and New York billionaire Jeffrey Epstein recruit and sexually abuse girls.

She has denied all the allegations and charges against her.

Maxwel’s lawyers have repeatedly complained about her conditions in jail and have made several applications for bail, but all of them are denied so far.

The 59-year-old has been in jail in New York since last summer, awaiting her trial on 12 July. This is the first photo of her released in that time.

Earlier in April, she appeared in court, her first appearance since her arrest.

Bobbi Sternheim, Ms Maxwell’s lawyer, sent the photo in a letter to Judge Alison Nathan on Thursday.

It said guards had confronted Maxwell about the bruise, and said they would put her in a special housing unit if she did not say how she had received it.

Ms Sternheim reportedly said: “While Ms Maxwell is unaware of the cause of the bruise, as reported to medical and psych staff, she has grown increasingly reluctant to report information to the guards for fear of retaliation, discipline, and punitive chores.”

On Thursday, Judge Nathan ordered an explanation of why and if guards were conducting “night time surveillance” on Ms Maxwell, and if she could be given an eye covering if needed.

You may read: US investigators raid former Trump lawyer’s home