A writer and journalist who previously accused Donald Trump of rape has filed a new lawsuit against the former president.
E. Jean Carroll, 78, a long-time columnist for Elle magazine, alleges that the former POTUS raped her in a Manhattan department store in 1995 or 1996, as reported by NBC News. The writer first made the claim in a book in 2019.
The Independent adds that Trump, now 76, has long denied any of Carroll's claims made against him.
The new lawsuit comes moments after a new state law came into effect allowing victims of sexual violence and assault to sue over historic attacks that happened decades ago, per NBC.
Caroll was barred by state law from suing Trump over the alleged rape claims, as too many years had passed since the events were alleged to take place.
The new law will open a window for victims of sexual assault to have a "second chance" to seek legal action against their alleged attackers if they missed the statute of limitations. The new window will be open for the duration of one year from Thursday (November 24), after which, the old dates will be reinstated.
Caroll's new claims accuse Trump of committing battery "when he forcibly raped and groped her", as reported by the Guardian.
The lawsuit alleges: "Trump’s underlying sexual assault severely injured Carroll, causing significant pain and suffering, lasting psychological harms, loss of dignity, and invasion of her privacy," whilst adding: "His recent defamatory statement has only added to the harm that Carroll had already suffered."
Ms Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, alleges that the lawsuit is intended to hold Trump accountable for the alleged assault, as per BBC News.
As cited by NBC, Trump's attorney Alina Habba stated: "While I respect and admire individuals that come forward, this case is, unfortunately, an abuse of the purpose of this Act which creates a terrible precedent and runs the risk of delegitimizing the credibility of actual victims."
When Carroll first made the allegations against Trump back in 2019, the then-president responded by saying the writer was "not [his] type".
Those comments led to Carroll filing a defamation lawsuit against Trump - one which has been tied up in appeals courts as judges struggle to determine whether or not the former POTUS is protected from legal claims for comments made while in office.
Hundreds of new lawsuits are expected as a result of the new law, with claims already being bought against banks JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank by lawyers acting for unnamed individuals, who accuse the banks of turning a blind eye against alleged sex trafficking by the late Jeffrey Epstein, per the Guardian.
The new law intends to offer new opportunities to victims who didn't speak out previously through trauma and fear.