Following a two-week trial, on Tuesday a New York jury found former US President Donald Trump guilty of sexually abusing magazine columnist E Jean Carroll in a department store changing room in the 1990s.

Carroll was able to bring the civil case against Trump after New York passed the Adult Survivors Act in 2022, which allowed a one-year period for victims to file sexual assault lawsuits in the state involving claims that would have normally exceeded statute limitations. She alleged that Trump had raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store one evening in the spring of 1996, leaving her unable to “even smile at a man she was attracted to” since. 

After a three hour deliberation, the jury found that Trump had subjected Carroll to sexual contact without consent by use of force, and that it was for the purpose of sexual gratification, making him liable for sexual abuse, but that he did not rape her. It also found Trump liable for defamation for calling the writer’s accusations “a hoax and a lie” on his social media site in 2022.

Because the standard of proof in civil cases is lower than in criminal cases, instead of doing so “beyond reasonable doubt”, jurors were only required to find that it was more likely than not that Trump assaulted Carroll.

The decision marks the first time a former US president has been found legally responsible for a sexual assault. However, because the trial was in civil court rather than criminal court, he will not be required to register as a sex offender or face any prison time. Instead, Trump is required to pay $5 million (£4m) in compensatory and punitive damages to Carroll: $2 million (£1.6m) on the sexual abuse count and close to $3 million (£2.4m) for defamation.

Following the verdict, Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform, in all capital letters: “I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. This verdict is a disgrace – a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!” His lawyer said the former president plans to appeal against the decision.

Last month, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records over a hush-money payment to the adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election and looks likely to face criminal charges over attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. 

“Today, the world finally knows the truth,” Carroll shared in a written statement following the verdict. “This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed.”

Images: Getty