Over the summer, a New York writer and advice columnist came forward with the allegation that President Trump sexually assaulted her over 20 years ago. Now, she’s suing him for defamation.

E. Jean Carroll wrote about the alleged assault in her new book, What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal, which was excerpted in New York magazine.

Trump has emphatically denied the allegation and has claimed that he’s never even met Carroll. (Though a photo in New York magazine shows them talking to each other at a party in 1987.) At one point, he claimed that “she’s not [his] type.” Trump has reportedly taken a similar approach in his denials of allegations brought forward by 19 other women who have accused him of sexual assault.

Carroll has turned to litigation, filing a defamation lawsuit over Trump’s denial. According to the complaint, Trump, “through express statements and deliberate implications, accused Carroll of lying about the incident in order to increase book sales, carry out a political agenda, advance a conspiracy with the Democratic Party, and make money.”

Unfortunately, many victims are hindered by statutes of limitations for rape and sexual assault. At the time of the alleged assault against Carroll, New York had a five-year statute of limitations. In September, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill extending the statute of limitations for victims of rape and other sex crimes. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) says that more and more state legislatures are taking a look at their statutes of limitations for sexual assault cases and extending, or in certain cases, abolishing that limit.

“I am filing this on behalf of every woman who has ever been harassed, assaulted, silenced, or spoken up only to be shamed, fired, ridiculed and belittled,” Carroll said in a statement. “No person in this country should be above the law—including the president.”

“While I can no longer hold Donald Trump accountable for assaulting me more than 20 years ago, I can hold him accountable for lying about it and I fully intend to do so.”

Filing a Sexual Assault Lawsuit

In response to Carroll’s defamation suit, White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said that a sexual attack like this could never have happened in “a dressing room of a crowded department store,” according to USA Today.

Of course, sexual abuse and sexual assault can happen anywhere and can be committed by anybody. Sexual assault has been reported in schools, in trusted organizations like the Boy Scouts of America or in churches.

A growing number of victims are coming forward with their stories of sexual assault, filing lawsuits against their abusers and the organizations that allowed the abuse to take place, or even actively covered up the abuse.

If you or someone you love has been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual assault, even if it occurred years or decades ago, you may be able to join this lawsuit investigation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.