In a London courtroom, a woman gave testimony that she owed her life to Barron Trump, who intervened during an attack she was experiencing while on a FaceTime call. The youngest son of former President Donald Trump, Barron, was quick to contact emergency services in the United Kingdom when he witnessed the assault.
The 19-year-old, who was situated in the United States at the time of the incident on January 18, 2025, dialed 999, the UK’s emergency hotline, after he saw a man assaulting the woman during their video call. The woman was in Poplar, East London when the incident occurred.
The woman’s testimony was heard at the Snaresbrook Crown Court in London on January 21, 2026, during the trial of Matvei Rumiantsev, a 22-year-old man facing charges related to the alleged assault. The court played an audio recording of Barron’s emergency call, which underscored the urgency of his report.
During the call, Barron informed the operator that he had just received a distressing call from a girl being attacked. He provided the woman’s address in New Providence Wharf, East London, and firmly requested assistance, emphasizing the urgent nature of the situation.
The operator asked Barron how he knew the victim and admonished him to answer questions clearly and respectfully. The operator’s insistence on cooperation and precision was evident from the tone of the conversation.
Barron confirmed that he had met the woman on social media and apologized for any perceived rudeness. He expressed concern for her safety, given the severity of what he had witnessed during their call.
The court viewed police bodycam footage showing officers responding to the scene, unaware at the time of the identity of the American caller. Upon their arrival, the woman informed them that she was friends with Barron Trump, son of Donald Trump. One of the officers relayed this information to a colleague, suggesting the caller from the U.S. was likely the former president’s son.
The police asked the woman to confirm Barron’s identity and account of events by calling him back. When Barron answered, he detailed what he had witnessed during the brief video call. He described hearing screams and seeing a man’s head before the camera shifted to the woman crying and being hit.
Barron stated that the unsettling call lasted between 10 and 15 seconds before abruptly ending. He relayed his thought process to the officers, explaining that he felt calling emergency services was the most responsible action he could take from his location across the Atlantic.
He told the officers that he felt his best course of action was to contact them, rather than exacerbating the situation by calling back and threatening the attacker.
The woman credited Barron’s intervention with saving her life during her testimony. “He helped save my life. That call was like a sign from God at that moment,” she said in court. She had been in a relationship with Rumiantsev for around six months before the alleged assaults began.
Prosecutors suggested that Rumiantsev’s jealousy over the woman’s friendship with Barron Trump may have incited his violent actions. Prosecuting attorney Serena Gates brought forward this theory during her presentation of the case.
Allegations were made in court that Rumiantsev kicked the woman in her stomach and insulted her during the attack. The prosecution also presented evidence of a pattern of alleged abuse beyond the incident that Barron Trump witnessed.
Rumiantsev is facing serious charges, including two counts of rape, intentional strangulation, assault, and perverting the course of justice. He has denied all the charges. Sasha Wass KC, leading the defense, suggested that the woman might have fabricated her account of the alleged incidents.
The woman reported to police that Rumiantsev sexually assaulted her twice, once in November 2024 and again just hours before the police arrived at his apartment on January 18, 2025. Although she initially retracted her statement, she later withdrew her retraction, insisting her initial report was accurate.
Prosecution evidence indicated that Rumiantsev tried to influence the woman’s testimony while in custody by contacting her and hinting that she should reconsider cooperating with the authorities.
Barron Trump, a sophomore at New York University‘s Washington, D.C. campus, has mostly remained out of the public eye, despite his father’s high-profile political career. He is the son of Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump.
This case underscores the challenges of international emergency response and reporting crimes witnessed via video technology. Barron’s prompt action to look up the UK’s emergency number and provide accurate information facilitated a swift police response.
The trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court continues as both prosecution and defense present their cases. The proceedings have attracted international attention, with the involvement of a former U.S. president’s son as a key witness adding an unusual twist to an already serious case.
The incident also raises questions about the role of social media in forming relationships and the potential risks associated with these online connections. While the specifics of Barron’s relationship with the woman are uncertain, his intervention may have prevented further harm.