Writer-journalist E. Jean Carroll testified in court that Trump raped her in the mid-1990s.
former president of the United States Donald Trump a new trial has started against him, in which he is accused of sexual violence and defamation. American journalist E. Jean Carroll sued Trump late last year over the events of the 1990s. Trump has denied the charges.
Local time on Wednesday, Carroll testified in court in New York and said that the alleged sexual assault made him feel ashamed.
– I am here because Donald Trump raped me, Carroll said in court.
According to Carroll, 79, Trump, 76, sexually abused her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York in the mid-1990s.
Carroll also accuses Trump of defamation. Carroll spoke publicly about his experiences years later, and Trump has, among other things, called Carroll a fraud.
Earlier in April, Trump was indicted for falsifying corporate information in connection with incidents leading up to the 2016 presidential election. The actual trial in the matter will take place in months at the earliest.
Trump is running for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 election.
“I was afraid of Donald Trump”
During Wednesday’s trial, Carroll told jurors about the events of the 1990s. According to him, the encounter with Trump quickly turned violent. Carroll said Trump jokingly asked for advice on buying women’s underwear as a gift and then pushed her against the locker room wall.
Carroll first spoke about the matter in his book, from which New York Magazine published an excerpt in 2019. In court, he was asked why he did not speak publicly about the matter until more than 20 years later.
– I was afraid of Donald Trump. I was ashamed. I thought it was my fault, Carroll replied.
Trump has testified in the case, but is not expected to testify at trial. The trial will last a couple of weeks.
Twelve women have previously accused Trump of sexual misconduct. The former president has denied all allegations and has not previously been charged in connection with the incidents.