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 23-year-old Russian man, Matvei Rumiantsev, has been sentenced to four years in prison after assaulting a woman and capturing footage of the incident during a FaceTime call with Donald Trump’s youngest son. The attack, fueled by jealousy over the woman’s relationship with the former president, unfolded when Rumiantsev violently kicked her while she lay crying on the floor.
Heroic intervention by Barron Trump
During the assault, Barron Trump’s 999 call to UK authorities played a critical role in the case. The president’s son, who had just turned 20, described the emergency to the operator, stating, “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.” His prompt action helped secure the victim’s safety, according to the witness.
“He saw you beating her up and you held the phone and filmed her, an angry act to humiliate her,” said Mr Justice Bennathan, who noted Barron’s decision to alert emergency services despite being in the United States.
Rumiantsev, described by the judge as a “trained fighter” with a volatile temper, was criticized for his lack of insight and empathy. “Your continued attempts to blame the complainant for the events were evident throughout the trial,” the judge remarked.
The incident, which lasted approximately an hour, left the victim fearing for her life. “I believed I could not escape and… might die,” she testified, reinforcing the urgency of Barron’s intervention.
Metro’s campaign against domestic abuse
On November 25, 2024, Metro launched This Is Not Right, a campaign focused on highlighting the persistent surge in violence against women. Partnering with Women’s Aid, the initiative aims to draw attention to the alarming scale of the issue.
Though Barron Trump did not testify in court, his account to police was instrumental in the prosecution. The 999 call transcript, made just days before his father’s inauguration, reveals his insistence on the immediacy of the threat: “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.”
“I’m calling from the US, uh, I just got a call from a girl, you know, she’s getting beat up,” Barron said, later explaining his connection to the victim via social media.
In an email exchange with detectives, Barron mentioned the time zone difference as a factor in his ability to respond: “The phone was answered but not by her, to my dismay,” he wrote. The shirtless man who answered was identified as the attacker.
