The 5 Black and Hispanic youngsters who had been wrongfully convicted for the 1989 rape of a white jogger in New York’s Central Park have sued Donald Trump for defamation over statements he made finally month’s US presidential debate.
Background: Recognized extensively because the Central Park 5, the defendants spent between 5 and 13 years in jail earlier than they had been cleared in 2002 based mostly on new DNA proof and the confession of one other individual.
Trump, the Republican nominee for the White Home, falsely stated on the 10 September debate with Democrat Kamala Harris that the Central Park 5 had killed an individual and pleaded responsible.
The lawsuit by Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown and Korey Sensible known as Trump’s statements “demonstrably false.”
Key quote: “Trump’s conduct on the September 10 debate was excessive and outrageous, and it was supposed to trigger extreme emotional misery” — the lawsuit towards Trump on behalf of the Central Park 5 said.
What else to know: Trump has drawn a lot criticism previously over his statements concerning the Central Park 5. After the jogger’s assault, he spoke out concerning the case and took out a full-page advert in a number of New York newspapers calling for the reinstatement of the loss of life penalty.
What occurs subsequent: The plaintiffs are searching for unspecified financial damages for reputational and emotional harms in addition to punitive damages.