Man on trial denies anger over Barron Trump FaceTime call during alleged London assault
Barron Trump alerted London police after viewing a woman allegedly assaulted on FaceTime; defendant Matvei Rumiantsev denies charges and denies anger over the incoming call.
Overview
Barron Trump, 19, called UK emergency services on Jan. 18, 2025, saying he saw a woman being 'beat up' during a FaceTime call from the US.
Defendant Matvei Rumiantsev, 22, of east London, faces charges including assault, two rape counts and strangulation; he denies all allegations at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Rumiantsev testified he felt 'jealous' but 'not angry' about Barron’s calls, saying he answered the FaceTime to make the woman 'understand' her behaviour.
Prosecutors say Rumiantsev 'flew into a rage' after seeing missed calls and attacked the woman as Barron watched; video evidence and transcripts were shown to jurors.
Barron emailed investigators describing a brief, distressing clip; the woman later said his intervention 'saved' her life, while the White House declined immediate comment.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the story largely neutrally, relying on court transcripts and direct quotes while distinguishing editorial framing from source content. They foreground Barron Trump's identity factually, include the operator's admonition and the defendant's denials, and note legal caveats—minimizing evaluative language and offering multiple perspectives.
Sources (8)
FAQ
Matvei Rumiantsev faces charges including assault, actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation, perverting the course of justice, and two counts of rape, dating from November 1, 2024, to January 23, 2025.
Barron Trump, 19, called UK emergency services on January 18, 2025, from the US after witnessing a woman being allegedly assaulted on a FaceTime call, reporting that she was 'getting beat up'.
Matvei Rumiantsev answered the FaceTime call from Barron Trump on the woman's phone, stating he felt jealous but not angry, and did so to make the woman understand her unreasonable behavior during her breakdown.
The woman stated that Barron Trump's call to police 'helped save my life' and was 'like a sign from God' during the incident.
The alleged victim is friends with Barron Trump, as evidenced by their FaceTime call and text conversations, which the defendant became aware of during a holiday in October 2024.
History
5 sources