The writer testifies in court: "Donald Trump raped me"

2023-04-27 08:01:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The writer testifies in court: "Donald Trump raped me"

Illustrative photo

At first, she thought helping Donald Trump shop for lingerie at a luxury store would just be "something fun in New York."

According to E.Jean Carroll, even as the former entrepreneur directed her to the changing rooms, as they challenged each other to try on a pair of see-through underwear, she imagined something similar to a sketch she had written for the comedy show "Saturday Night Live".

But before long, "the whole reason I was alive at that moment was to get out of that room," Ms. Carroll testified Wednesday at her rape trial.

"I'm here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didn't happen. He lied and damaged my reputation and I'm here to try to get my life back,'' Ms Carroll told jurors.

As she sat on the dock where she often broke down in tears, from afar Mr Trump repeated his insistence that Ms Carroll's 1996 rape claim is completely fabricated. He called the case "a fabricated hoax".

"This is a fraudulent & false story - Witch Hunt!", Mr. Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. His comments prompted the judge to warn Mr. Trump's lawyers that he could get himself into further legal trouble.

Former President Trump has not taken part in the trial so far, but his lawyers said on Tuesday that he may decide to testify.

The trial comes as the former president seeks to regain the Republican nomination to run for president, and weeks after pleading not guilty to other criminal charges related to payments to silence a porn actress who says that he had sexual relations with her.

Ms. Carroll, a 79-year-old former advice columnist, was almost in the role of witness. After crying as she told jurors that "having the opportunity to appear in court means everything to me," she quickly pulled herself together and refused to take a break.

"I'm not going to sit here crying and waste everyone's time," she said.

Ms. Carroll testified that she exchanged words with Mr. Trump at the revolving doors of luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman on a Thursday evening in the spring of 1996. At the time, she was writing for Elle magazine, having previously written for the comedy show "SNL". At the time, Mr. Trump was a real estate mogul and well-known in New York social circles.

She said that he asked her for advice on choosing a gift for a woman, and that she was happy to help. As a writer who offers advice, being asked by Mr. Trump to help with gifts "was a wonderful opportunity," and Ms. Carroll thought it would also make for a fun story, she said.

Ajo dëshmoi se pati sugjeruar një kapele, por se ai kishte anuar tek të brendshmet, dhe se shumë shpejt filluan të bënin humor për të brendshmet. E argëtuar dhe flirtuese, ajo vazhdoi lojën, duke qeshur edhe kur ai mbylli derën e dhomës së veshjes, ndoshta madje edhe kur e shtyu drejt murit.

Por në vazhdim, ai e përdhunoi, megjithë refuzimin e saj. Ajo arriti më në fund ta shtyjë me gjunj dhe u largua.

Zonja Carroll tha se për dekada të tëra, ajo u tregoi vetëm dy shoqeve pasi kishte frikë se zoti Trump do të hakmerrej, pasi ajo mendonte se ishte faji i saj dhe sepse mendonte se shumë njerëz fajësojnë viktimat e përdhunimit për atë që u ndodhi.

Ish-Presidenti Trump, 76 vjeç, ka thënë se nuk ka qenë në dyqan me zonjën Carroll dhe se nuk kishte dijeni se kush ajo ishte në momentin kur e bëri këtë histori publike për herë të parë.

Ms. Carroll is expected to continue her testimony on Thursday, when Mr. Trump's lawyers will probably have the opportunity to question her./ Voa