LONDON – Barron Trump, the 19-year-old son of U.S. President Donald Trump, played a central role in a British legal case this week after he alerted authorities in London to what prosecutors say was an unfolding violent incident, according to testimony and evidence presented in court.
Jurors at Snaresbrook Crown Court in East London were told that on January 18, 2025, Trump was in the United States when he received a video call from a young British woman with whom he had been in contact, according to reporting by People and FOX News Digital. During that call, Trump reportedly witnessed parts of an assault by the woman’s ex-boyfriend, identified by prosecutors as 22-year-old Matvei Rumiantsev of east London.
After briefly seeing and hearing indications of violence during the approximately 10 to 15 second FaceTime exchange, Trump dialed the British emergency number 999 from the U.S. He provided operators with the woman’s address and urged that help be sent immediately, according to a recording played for jurors and described in reporting by LiveNOW from FOX and other outlets.
In the emergency call, Trump told the dispatcher that “a girl I know” was being beaten, and emphasized the urgency of the situation, according to published excerpts of the 999 call. Police officers were dispatched to the East London address soon after.
Court testimony and police body-worn camera footage shown to jurors indicate that, upon arrival, officers relayed to the woman that someone in the United States had contacted them about the incident, The Independent reported. She then identified Trump as the caller.
The woman, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, testified that Trump’s intervention “helped save my life,” according to accounts in The Guardian and other outlets. Prosecutors allege that Rumiantsev became violent after disputes tied to jealousy over her communications with Trump.
Rumiantsev has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including assault, intentional strangulation, and two counts of rape, along with attempting to pervert the course of justice, according to court filings and media reports. He denies the allegations and, through his defense, has challenged aspects of the complainant’s account, asserting in cross-examination that parts of her testimony are untrue.
During proceedings, jurors also heard that Trump described the woman to authorities as someone he was “very close” with, and that he provided additional written statements to police in the months following the incident, as evidence submitted to the court shows.
The trial is ongoing, with further evidence and testimonies expected in the coming days. At this stage, no verdict has been reached.
