New York : A New York jury on Tuesday found former US president Donald Trump liable for sexual assault against writer E Jean Carroll in an incident that occurred in the 1990s.
The jury did not find Mr Trump liable for rape.
Jurors also found that Mr Trump had defamed Ms Carroll in a Truth Social post, in which he called her claims a “con job”.
During a seven-day civil trial in Manhattan Federal Court, Ms Carroll, 79, told jurors Mr Trump, 76, raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996, and then ruined her reputation by denying it.
The jury deliberated for 90 minutes and reached a unanimous decision.
Jurors ruled that Mr Trump owed Ms Carroll $2 million for sexual battery and another $3 million for defamation.
Jurors agreed it was “highly probable” that Mr Trump’s statement was false and was made maliciously, with deliberate intent to injure or out of hatred or ill will, with reckless disregard for Ms Carroll’s rights.
On Tuesday, Mr Trump posted a message on his Truth Social platform before deliberations, claiming that “despite being a current political candidate and leading all others in both parties”, he was not “allowed to speak or defend himself” against what he called a false accusation.
Mr Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina told jurors that the haziness of Ms Carroll’s account made it impossible for Mr Trump to defend himself.
“With no date, no month, no year, you can’t present an alibi, you can’t call witnesses,” Mr Tacopina said.
