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 using her phone to film Barron Trump, the president’s youngest son, during the attack.
Rumiantsev attacked the victim out of envy over her friendship with Donald Trump, whom he had met through social media. During the incident, he answered a FaceTime call from Barron and turned the camera to capture himself striking the woman while she cowered and cried on the floor.
“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,” Mr Trump said during the 999 call.
The woman testified at Snaresbrook Crown Court that Barron’s prompt action helped her escape harm. She described the assault as lasting nearly an hour, with moments where she feared for her life.
Mr Justice Bennathan, addressing Rumiantsev, called him a “trained fighter” and “a man driven by jealousy” with a short temper. The judge noted his failure to show insight or empathy, blaming the victim for the events.
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The 999 call transcript, made just days before Trump’s father’s inauguration, reveals his urgency in reporting the assault. Despite being in the US, he took responsibility for ensuring the UK emergency services were alerted.
“I’m calling from the United States, uh, I just spoke to a girl, you know, she’s being attacked,” Barron stated. “The call was about eight minutes ago, and I don’t know what could have happened by now.”
When asked how he knew the victim, he replied: “I don’t think these details matter, she’s being attacked. But okay fine, also I met her on social media, I don’t think that matters.”
Although Trump didn’t testify in court, his account to police was crucial to the case. In an email to detectives last May, he mentioned: “What I saw was very brief, but prevalent. I didn’t expect her to answer due to the time zone difference. The phone was answered, but not by her, which dismayed me.”
