Barron Trump may have saved woman’s life by calling British police during an alleged assault, court hears
By Jack Guy, CNN
London (CNN) — Barron Trump, son of the US president, contacted police in London last year after witnessing an alleged assault on a female friend while he and the woman were on a video call, a British court has been told.
A transcript of Trump’s emergency call was shown during the trial of Matvei Rumiantsev, a 22-year-old Russian national, at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London on Wednesday, the PA Media news agency reported.
Rumiantsev is accused of assault, actual bodily harm, two counts of rape, intentional strangulation and perverting the course of justice, in charges dating from November 1, 2024 to January 23, 2025. He denies all charges. Rumiantsev’s legal counsel declined to comment when reached by CNN.
On Wednesday, the woman told the court that Trump’s intervention had helped stop Rumiantsev from killing her, according to British media reports.
“He helped save my life. That call was like a sign from God at that moment,” she said, the British newspaper Metro reported.
Rumiantsev’s legal counsel told the court that the woman’s claims were a “complete fabrication,” suggesting that the defendant had restrained her due to the fact that she was being “angry and violent,” Metro reported.
Trump, now 19, called the police after speaking to the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on January 18, 2025, the court heard, PA Media reported.
“I’m calling from the US, I just got a call from a girl… she’s getting beat up,” Trump said, according to the transcript of his call with police.
“This was happening about eight minutes ago. I just figured out how to, how to call someone. It’s really an emergency.”
Trump said in the call that he’d met the alleged victim on social media.
Prosecutors allege that Rumiantsev strangled the woman that evening and she later called the police.
The defendant said Thursday that he first became aware of the woman’s friendship with Trump in October 2024.
The following month, Rumiantsev and the alleged victim had an argument, the accused told the court.
“I started to explain that I felt upset as well about her talking to Barron Trump,” said Rumiantsev.
“I was in no way controlling but I was trying to make her know that if she feels unwell seeing messages I had with girls 10 years ago, she could maybe understand how I felt when she was sat there this moment texting someone else,” he added.
The defendant said he answered the January video call from Trump during an altercation with the woman.
“I noticed her phone next to me on the sofa and it was ringing with a Barron Trump face call,” the defendant said. “I don’t know what went through my head but I answered yes,” added Rumiantsev.
Police investigating the allegations later asked Trump if he would be willing to provide a witness statement. Trump wrote in an email to police that what he saw was “very brief indeed but indeed prevalent,” the court was told Thursday.
“I didn’t expect her to pick up due to the time difference,” Trump wrote in an email sent May 2, 2025.
“The individual who picked up the phone was a shirtless man with darkish hair, although I didn’t get a good look, this view lasted maybe one second and I was racing with adrenaline,” said Trump.
“The camera was then flipped to the victim getting hit while crying, stating something in Russian. The guy had hung up. This whole interaction had lasted 5 to 7 seconds,” Trump continued.
Police replied to Trump’s email, jurors were told, but did not receive a response to that or follow-up correspondence sent on July 1.
The trial continues. CNN has contacted the White House for comment.
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CNN’s Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.
