Donald Trump sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll, jury finds

Former US president Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed writer E Jean Carroll, a New York jury concluded in a civil case.

But Trump was cleared of rape over the alleged assault in a department store in the 1990s.

The jury awarded the writer almost $5 million in damages for battery and defamation.

Trump did not testify, but the jury - made up of six men and three women - was shown a video deposition where he denied the rape

The claim was brought to trial after New York passed a law that allowed survivors to sue years after their alleged sexual assault.

The burden of proof in a civil case is lower than in a criminal trial - a preponderance of the evidence rather than beyond a reasonable doubt must be found.

Trump has said he will be contesting the Republican Party nomination to be the presidential candidate in next year’s presidential election.

His lawyer, Joe Tacopina told reporters after the trial that it won’t derail his run for president.

Calling the ruling “perplexing”, Tacopina said the legal teams should have been able to know the identities of the jurors to assess potential biases.

He said Trump “wants to fight this on appeal”.

When asked why Trump didn't testify, he doubled down on what he said in court.

Having Trump there would have been “more of a circus”. “And what more can he say other than ‘I didn't do it?’”