A jury on Tuesday found former US president Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, awarding her US$5 million.
The verdict was split. Jurors rejected Carroll’s claim that she was raped, finding Trump responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse.
She nodded as the verdict was announced in a New York City federal courtroom only three hours after deliberations had begun, then hugged supporters and smiled through tears.
Photo: Reuters
As the courtroom cleared, Carroll could be heard laughing and crying.
Jurors also found Trump liable for defaming Carroll over her allegations.
Trump did not attend the civil trial and was absent when the verdict was read.
Trump criticized the ruling on the Truth social media platform, saying that he does not know Carroll and referring to the verdict as “a disgrace” and “a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time.”
He said that he would appeal.
Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, told reporters that the jury’s rejection of the rape claim while finding Trump responsible for sexual abuse was “perplexing” and “strange.”
“Part of me was obviously very happy that Donald Trump was not branded a rapist,” he said.
He said that Trump’s absence was justified due to the trial’s “circus atmosphere.”
In a written statement, Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan said that the verdict proved nobody is above the law, “not even the president of the United States.”
Carroll, in her own statement, said that she sued Trump to “clear my name and to get my life back.”
“Today, the world finally knows the truth,” she said. “This victory is not just for me, but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed.”
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