US jury finds Trump sexually abused writer in New York department store

Former US President Donald Trump sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll in 1996 and then defamed her by branding her a liar, a US jury has decided, the latest legal blow to Trump as he seeks re-election nest year.

The verdict was read out in a New York City federal court on Tuesday afternoon, just hours after jurors began deliberating following a seven-day civil trial.

Carroll had accused the former US president of sexually assaulting her in a New York City department store in the mid-1990s and then defaming her by dismissing her story.

The nine-member jury determined on Tuesday that the ex-president did not rape Carroll, but they did find him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

The jury also ordered Trump to pay Carroll $5 million in damages.

Trump's lawyer said the former president plans to appeal against the decision. Nut legal experts said that although appeals are very common in civil lawsuits, its unlikely Trump’s legal team would be able to change the outcome in this case.

Trump immediately posted a statement on his social media site, claiming again that he does not know Carroll and referring to Tuesday’s verdict as “a disgrace” and “a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time”.

Trump faces a growing number legal cases, including criminal charges in New York relating to a hush-money payment made to a porn star in 2016, financial wrongdoing, and a federal investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

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