By Oyintari Ben
Former US President, Donald Trump was found guilty by a jury in a civil case of sexually abusing a magazine columnist at a New York department store in the 1990s.
However, Mr Trump was not found responsible for raping E Jean Carroll in the Bergdorf Goodman dressing room.
The jury also determined that Mr Trump was guilty of defamation for labelling the writer’s allegations “a hoax and a lie”.
It is the first time a sexual assault has resulted in Mr Trump being held liable in court.
A Manhattan jury mandated that Mr Trump pay the woman $4 million in damages.
Tuesday’s jury, comprised of six men and three women, decided after less than three hours of discussion.
After the verdict, Ms Carroll released a statement saying, “Today, the world finally knows the truth.” “This victory is not just for me, but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed.”
According to Mr Trump’s attorney, the former president intends to appeal the ruling.
Mr Trump won’t be required to register as a sex offender because the trial took place in a civil court rather than a criminal court.
The two-week lawsuit trial in the Manhattan federal court was not attended by the former president, who has refuted Ms Carroll’s allegations.
Ms Carroll, 79, beamed as the jury granted her damages and clutched the hands of both of her solicitors as the judgement was read aloud in court.
As the trial came to a close, Mr Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, shook her hand and wished her success.
In a statement, the plaintiff’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said: “This is a victory not only for E Jean Carroll, but for democracy itself, and all survivors everywhere.”
I have absolutely no idea who this woman is, Mr Trump, 76, wrote on his social media platform Truth Social after the judgement.
“This decision is a disgrace and a continuation of history’s biggest witch hunt,”
