Beatrice Keul Accuses Donald Trump of Rape in Epstein Report

Former Swiss model Beatrice Keul has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her, the first time she has made the allegation publicly. The accusation appears in a report by Democrats on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, which was released on Monday, Oct. 26, just days before the congressional midterm elections.

In the report, Keul states that Trump raped her in November 1993 in a suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Keul, now 56, is from the canton of Bern in Switzerland and was first runner-up in the 1992 Miss Switzerland pageant. Trump, now 80, denies the allegations.

Eleven women in the Democrats' report

The report documents the accounts of eleven women. Five of them, including Keul, accuse Trump of rape or sexual assault in the orbit of Jeffrey Epstein, who was later convicted as a sex offender. According to the report, Keul's section is based solely on conversations with Democratic staff members. According to the Democrats, the report also contains statements from other participants in the beauty pageant Keul took part in at the time, which supported parts of her account.

The report was produced by the Democratic minority on the committee. It is not a court ruling, and the allegations have not been proven. Trump has never been charged in connection with Epstein. The Democrats also name him and former modeling agent Paolo Z. as possible co-conspirators of Epstein.

Jamie Raskin, the committee's ranking Democrat, leveled serious accusations against the administration: "Trump's Justice Department appears to be covering up these crimes in order to protect the president." The Democrats are calling for an independent special counsel.

Keul explains her long hesitation

Keul had previously told the Swiss newspaper Blick about the alleged incident. At the time, she said Trump had kissed and groped her; she only hinted at an attempted rape. Shortly afterward, she told the New York Times that she was withholding details because of anonymous threats. Asked by Blick whether she was now accusing Trump of a completed rape for the first time, she replied: "Publicly, yes."

Several media outlets had been sued by Trump and did not want to take any further risk, Keul told Blick. Some, she said, had told her that one had to start "gently." She said her statement had been partly censored "because of Trump's power and dictatorship." The committee, she said, is now ready to "create transparency once and for all." It is not only about her, she said, but also about "all the other victims, survivors and witnesses."

White House denies claims, Keul plans lawsuits

The White House rejected the accusations. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis called them untrue and described the report as a desperate attempt at distraction.

In an earlier conversation with the Swiss broadcaster SRF, Keul had said she was preparing class-action lawsuits against Trump together with other alleged victims.