Barron Trump called UK police after witnessing attack of ‘close’ friend on video call, court told
Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, told the Metropolitan Police that he was “very close” to the alleged rape victim, a court has heard.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard the 19-year-old tried to reach UK police from the US after seeing the alleged victim, a woman, being attacked during a video call in London.
Matvei Rumiantsev, 22, is on trial on assault and two counts of rape, among other charges against the alleged victim, who jurors heard was friends with Mr. Trump.
The court heard Mr Trump called the alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on January 18 last.
Shortly afterwards he spoke to police in London after believing he had been attacked, the court heard, and a transcript of the call was released by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
“Oh, I’m calling from the USA, I’ve just got a call from a girl, you know, she’s getting beaten up,” Mr Trump was quoted as saying to the City of London Police in the transcript.
“This happened about eight minutes ago. I just learned how to call someone. Uh, uh, this is a real emergency.”
In the interview, Mr. Trump said he met the alleged victim on social media.
“I don’t think those details matter, it hurts,” Mr. Trump said when the City of London operator questioned him about how he got that information, the transcript said.
The operator said, “Can you stop being rude and answer my questions?” he said.
“If you want to help the person, please answer my questions clearly and concisely, thank you.”
The court heard on Thursday that in an email response to London police investigating the allegations asking if Mr Trump wanted to give a witness statement, the US president’s son wrote that what he saw was “really brief but really widespread”.
“I did not expect him to pick up the phone due to the time difference,” the May 2 email said, jurors heard.
“The phone was received.
“The person who responded was a shirtless, dark-haired man. This image lasted perhaps a second…then the gaze turned to the victim.”
The court heard the rest of the email: “I had two friends call the Met Police in the UK even though they were in the US.
“According to the evidence, I don’t have one. The victim, with whom I am very close, told me that this person had been causing trouble for her for a long time.”
Jurors heard police responded to an email from Mr. Trump but received no response to that or a follow-up email sent on July 1.
Rumiantsev, wearing a blue suit and white shirt in the dock, denies assault, causing actual bodily harm, two charges of rape, deliberate strangulation and perverting the course of justice by pressuring the woman to withdraw her complaints.
The trial continues.
