A New York jury has found Donald Trump liable of sexual abuse

Donald Trump has been found liable of sexual abuse in a civil case brought against him by defamed writer and columnist E. Jean Carroll. 

Carroll accused Trump of rape in the civil case, with the alleged incident taking place in the changing rooms of New York department store, Bergdorf Goodman, on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, in 1996.

The former President of the United States was cleared of rape by the New York jury this week, but he was found liable of sexual abuse. 

Trump was also found liable of defamation in the civil case, saying of the accusation in his deposition: “It is a hoax and a lie just like all the other hoaxes that have been played on me for the past seven years.”

The jury has ordered Donald Trump to pay £4 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll, for battery and defamation charges. 

Trump’s legal team have announced that they will be appealing the verdict. 

"Make no mistake, this entire bogus case is a political endeavour targeting President Trump because he is now an overwhelming front-runner to be once again elected President of the United States,” read a statement from Trump’s legal team. "Our nation is in serious trouble when claims lacking any evidence or proof or eyewitnesses can invade our courts to score political points."

“I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and to get my life back,” Carroll announced in a statement as she thanked her legal team. “Today, the world finally knows the truth.”

Her statement continued: “This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

"E Jean Carroll has never wavered in her strength, courage, and determination to seek justice. Donald Trump, on the other hand, failed to even show up in court," added Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan.

"This is a victory not only for E Jean Carroll, but for democracy itself, and for all survivors everywhere.”

We will continue to update this story.