Barron Trump praised by UK judge for phoning 999 to report attack on friend
Barron Trump praised by UK judge for phoning 999 to report attack on friend
A Russian man, Matvei Rumiantsev, 23, was sentenced to four years in prison after assaulting a woman and capturing footage of the incident to target Barron Trump, the president’s son. The attack occurred following a jealous dispute over the woman’s friendship with Mr. Trump, who had recently celebrated his 20th birthday, after they connected online.
During the assault, he accepted a FaceTime call from Barron Trump and redirected the camera to capture his own violent actions as he kicked the woman while she cried on the floor. Trump’s call to 999 and connection to the City of London Police was instrumental in the case, according to the victim.
“Mr Trump properly and responsibly, despite being in the United States, made sure the emergency services here were called, and he told them what he had seen,” stated Justice Bennathan.
The woman testified that Trump’s prompt action with the emergency services was crucial in her survival. “He saw you beating her up and you held the phone and filmed her, an angry act to humiliate her,” the judge noted. “I am in no doubt whatsoever that she felt she could not escape and might die.”
Justice Bennathan characterized Rumiantsev as a “trained fighter” with a volatile temper, driven by feelings of jealousy. He remarked that Rumiantsev lacked insight and empathy, continuously attributing the incident to the victim’s actions.
Call Transcript Highlights
“
It’s really an emergency. I’m calling from the US, uh I just got a call from a girl, you know, she’s getting beat up,” said Barron Trump during the 999 call.
“
Yeah I know but I need to take information from you so how have you come by this information?
”
“
I don’t think these details matter she’s getting beat up but okay fine, also I met her on social media, I don’t think that matters.
”
Later in the call, Barron reiterated: “She’s getting really badly beat up and the call was about eight minutes ago, I don’t know what could have happened by now.”
Broader Campaign Context
On November 25, 2024, Metro launched This Is Not Right, a campaign aimed at highlighting the widespread issue of violence against women. With support from Women’s Aid, the initiative seeks to underscore the severity of this national emergency.
Although Trump did not appear as a witness at the trial, his account to police was a vital part of the case against Rumiantsev. The transcript of his 999 call, made just days before his father’s inauguration, showed he pleaded for urgent action and was even accused of being “rude” when insisting the details of his knowledge of the woman were inconsequential.
In an email last May, Trump told detectives: “What I saw was very brief indeed but indeed prevalent. I didn’t expect her to pick up due to the difference in the time zone to the fact I am in the USA, the phone was answered but not by her, to my dismay.”
With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency. You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send an email to vaw@metro.co.uk.
