A late-night video call from the United States — answered unexpectedly by a violent confrontation unfolding in London — set off a chain of events that ended Wednesday with a criminal conviction in a British courtroom. The caller was Barron Trump, the youngest son of U.S. President Donald Trump, and the call he placed to London police more than a year ago helped stop an assault and launch the case.
Matvei Rumiantsev, a 22-year-old Russian national living in London, was convicted of assault and of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He admitted attacking his girlfriend after becoming jealous of her online friendship with Trump. He was acquitted of rape and choking charges tied to the same incident, as well as an additional rape and assault allegation from November 2024. Sentencing is scheduled for March 27.
Video Call Interrupted by Violence
According to court records, Trump placed a FaceTime call to the woman on Jan. 18 after meeting her through social media. He told police the call was briefly answered by a shirtless man before the camera flipped to show the woman being struck while crying and speaking in Russian.
“This view lasted maybe one second and I was racing with adrenaline,” Trump said in a statement to police. “The camera was then flipped to the victim getting hit.”
The call ended within seconds, after which Trump immediately contacted emergency services in London.
Barron Trump Told to ‘Stop being Rude’ by Emergency Dispatcher
A recording of Trump’s call to police was played during the trial. In it, Trump urgently pleads for help as the dispatcher asks routine questions to identify the victim and her location.
“How do you know her?” the dispatcher asked.
“I don’t think these details matter, she’s getting beat up,” Trump responded.
“Can you stop being rude and actually answer my questions?” the dispatcher said. “If you want to help the person, you’ll answer my questions clearly and precisely, thank you. So how do you know her?”
Police were dispatched to the address that night and arrested Rumiantsev, who worked as a receptionist and lived at the residence.
Jealousy Over Online Friendship
Prosecutors said Rumiantsev attacked the woman during an argument fueled by jealousy over her communications with Trump. Rumiantsev testified that he believed his girlfriend was encouraging Trump’s attention and said he felt both resentment and sympathy toward him.
Defense attorney Sasha Wass argued that Trump did not know the woman had a boyfriend and questioned how much he could have observed during the brief video call. Wass portrayed the relationship as volatile and suggested the woman used her ties to Trump to provoke jealousy in what she described as a drama-filled relationship.
Barron Trump Did Not Testify
Trump, now 19 and the only child of Donald and Melania Trump, did not testify at trial.
Before jurors deliberated, Justice Bennathan cautioned them to carefully weigh Trump’s statements because he was not cross-examined.
“He could have been asked whether he actually saw the assault or jumped to that conclusion based on her screams,” the judge said, adding that jurors could also consider whether Trump’s perceptions were influenced by his friendship with the woman.
Conviction for Interfering With Justice
In addition to the assault conviction, jurors found Rumiantsev guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice after he sent the woman a letter from jail urging her to retract her allegations.
While jurors cleared him of the most serious charges, the conviction underscored the role Trump’s emergency call played in alerting authorities and stopping the attack.
Rumiantsev remains in custody ahead of sentencing later this month.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press
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