A British judge has commended Barron Trump, the youngest son of US President Donald Trump, for his 'lifesaving' actions after he witnessed a friend being assaulted during a video call and alerted emergency services. The incident led to the jailing of a Russian man for four years.
Matvei Rumiantsev, 21, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice. The court heard that Rumiantsev, described as a 'trained fighter', attacked the woman in a jealous rage after she developed a friendship with Barron Trump, then aged 18, through social media.
During the assault on 18 January 2025, Rumiantsev answered a FaceTime call from Mr Trump on the victim's phone and turned the camera to show her crying on the floor. Mr Trump, who was in the United States, immediately called 999, telling the operator: 'It's really an emergency. I'm calling from the US, uhh, I just got a call from a girl, you know, she's getting beat up.'
Judge Mr Justice Bennathan praised Mr Trump's actions, stating: 'Mr Trump properly and responsibly, despite being in the United States, made sure the emergency services here were called, and he told them what he had seen.' The victim herself also managed to call 999 after enduring an hour of violence, saying: 'Please help me, I'm gonna get killed.'
The court heard that Rumiantsev, who lived in Canary Wharf, east London, had repeatedly struck the woman and dragged her by her hair. He later made efforts to persuade her to withdraw her allegations, including sending a letter from prison. The judge described Rumiantsev as 'totally unrepentant' and 'a man given to jealousy'. Rumiantsev was acquitted of two charges of rape, assault by penetration, and intentional strangulation.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said she 'withdrew from the world entirely' and lives with 'constant terror and uncertainty about the defendant's release'. Mr Trump, a key witness, sent an email to police describing the 'very brief' sight of the assault, stating: 'The camera was then flipped to the victim getting hit while crying.'
