The trial of Donald Trump and his rape accuser began today in New York, but the former US president did not appear.
Journalist E. Jean Carroll, who was seen arriving at court today, claims Trump groped her in the changing room of Manhattan department store Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s.
Donald Trump fails to appear in Manhattan court for his rape trial.
She filed a civil complaint against him in federal court in New York, and jury selection is set to begin today.
Trump, who did not appear this morning, has disputed the allegations, claiming that Carroll invented them to boost sales of her 2019 memoir.
The case is likely to continue at least a week, and it is uncertain whether the former president would appear to testify under oath at any point.
Trump’s lawyers have stated that he ‘wishes to appear’ but is concerned about the security and traffic issues that might result.
Carroll’s case was brought under a New York state legislation that allows adult victims of sexual assault to file civil cases after the statute of limitations had elapsed.
Carroll, 79, a former Elle magazine advice columnist, said she kept silent about her encounter for decades before speaking out after Trump, 76, was elected president.
According to the lawsuit, he ‘pressed her up against a dressing room wall, pinned her in place with his shoulder, and raped her’ after their “playful banter took a dark turn.”
Carroll claims that after a chance meeting at Bergdorf’s, Trump offered to purchase her underwear but then followed her into the changing room.
‘Trump surged towards Carroll, shoving her against the wall, severely banging her head, and putting his mouth on her lips,’ according to the complaint.
‘Carroll pushed him away. Carroll came up in awkward laughing, stunned by Trump’s surprise attack. She was having trouble processing the situation’s absurdity. She also hoped, at initially, that his ego would be bruised and he would retreat.’
Instead, he allegedly’seized both of her arms’ and trapped her against the wall while pulling down her tights and forcing himself against her.
Carroll also sued Trump for defamation over statements he made about the case while he was still president.
His social media posts describe the case as a “complete con job” and “totally false.”
‘While I am not supposed to say it, I will,’ he claimed in one post. ‘This lady is not my type.’
Judge Lewis Kaplan has ordered that the jury may view the infamous Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump boasted to Billy Bush in 2005 about grabbing women by their private parts.
The jury will also hear from two other women who claim Trump sexually attacked them, as well as two of Carroll’s friends who she allegedly informed about the incident.
The judge has ordered that the jurors remain anonymous in order to shield them from media scrutiny and intimidation by Trump fans.
According to court filings that have previously been made public, Trump misidentified Carroll as his ex-wife Marla Maples in a sworn deposition after being shown a photo of the journalist.
Carroll’s case is also being funded in part by Reid Hoffman, the millionaire co-founder of LinkedIn who has publicly criticised Trump.
The defamation action has been postponed pending a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on whether Trump made the words as part of his job as president, in which case they would be protected.
Prosecutors in Georgia are also looking into whether Trump tampered with the 2020 election.
A special counsel is investigating whether he improperly held sensitive materials after leaving the White House, and a trial in New York for fabricating business paperwork is scheduled for early next year.
