A man accused of rape answered a video call from Barron Trump, the son of US President Donald Trump, during an alleged violent altercation, a London court has heard in a case that has drawn international attention.
Transatlantic Alert to UK Authorities
The extraordinary incident prompted Barron Trump, who was in the United States at the time, to immediately contact British police forces across the Atlantic to report what he had witnessed during the brief but disturbing video exchange. This intervention from the president's son set in motion a chain of events that led to the current trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London.
Disturbing Video Exchange Details
According to court testimony heard on Thursday, 22-year-old Matvei Rumiantsev answered a FaceTime call intended for his female friend on the evening of 17 January 2025. Prosecutors allege that Rumiantsev was assaulting the woman at the time the call came through from the US president's son.
The defendant told jurors that the woman had been "in a stage of complete breakdown" and was "completely hysterical crying, screaming, shouting" when he noticed her phone ringing with Barron Trump's face appearing on the screen. "I don't know what went through my head but I answered yes," Rumiantsev testified.
He described stepping away from the distressed woman before answering the call and immediately pointing the camera toward her. "Maybe I thought she would realise that her behaviour was unreasonable, that she wouldn't behave like this in front of someone else," he explained to the court.
Trump's Emergency Response
In a transcript of the emergency services call presented to the court, Barron Trump told UK operators: "Oh I'm calling from the US, uh, I just got a call from a girl, you know, she's getting beat up." The president's son later provided a detailed email statement to investigating officers in May 2025, describing the brief but shocking interaction.
"I didn't expect her to pick up due to the difference in the time zone to the fact I am in the USA," Trump wrote. "The phone was answered but not by her, to my dismay. The individual who picked up the phone was a shirtless man with darkish hair, although I didn't get a good look."
He continued: "The camera was then flipped to the victim getting hit while crying, stating something in Russian. The guy had hung up. This whole interaction had lasted 5 to 7 seconds."
Background to the Allegations
The court heard that Rumiantsev and the alleged victim had been drinking together on the evening of 17 January 2025 and into the early hours of the following day. Prosecutors allege that during this period, Rumiantsev strangled the woman and committed sexual assaults against her.
Rumiantsev, a Russian national who was working as a receptionist at the time of the alleged incidents, faces multiple serious charges including:
- Two counts of rape occurring between 17-18 January 2025 and between 1-30 November 2024
- Assault causing actual bodily harm
- Intentional strangulation
- Perverting the course of justice
Defence Arguments and Denials
The defendant, who has experience in freestyle wrestling, acknowledged to the court that the alleged victim is considerably smaller than him but vehemently denied ever strangling, hitting, or kicking her. He insisted that he only grabbed the woman's arms on 18 January to prevent her from attacking him.
Earlier testimony revealed that Rumiantsev had become aware of the alleged victim's friendship with Barron Trump in October 2024. The court heard that on 3 November 2024, the pair had a disagreement about her communication with the president's son.
"I started to explain that I felt upset as well about her talking to Barron Trump," Rumiantsev told the jury. "I was in no way controlling but I was trying to make her know that if she feels unwell seeing messages I had with girls 10 years ago, she could maybe understand how I felt when she was sat there this moment texting someone else."
Legal Proceedings Continue
Rumiantsev was arrested on the morning of 18 January 2025 and taken into police custody following Barron Trump's emergency call to UK authorities. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which span alleged incidents between 1 November 2024 and 23 January 2025.
The trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court continues as jurors hear further evidence in this complex case that has brought together elements of international relations, celebrity connections, and serious criminal allegations within the British justice system.
