A federal jury has found former U.S. president Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse of Jean Carroll in a New York department store in the 1990s. 

Mr Trump was also found liable for defamation for calling the magazine columnist’s accusations “a hoax and a lie”.

The jury, however, did not find Mr Trump liable for raping Ms Carroll in the dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman, according to a BBC report.

The Manhattan jury comprising six men and three women deliberated the case for three hours before reaching their decision on Tuesday. 

They ordered Mr Trump to pay Ms Carroll $5 million in damages.

Ms Carroll expressed relief after the verdict stating that the world finally knows the truth of her story.

“Today, the world finally knows the truth,” she said. “This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed.”

This will be the first time Mr Trump has been found legally wanting for sexual assault.

Mr Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said Donald Trump plans to appeal against the decision. 

The former U.S. president did not attend the two-week-long civil trial in the Manhattan Federal court.

After the verdict, Mr Trump protested on his social media platform Truth Social calling the verdict a disgrace.

“I have absolutely no idea who this woman is,” he wrote.

“This verdict is a disgrace — a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!” Mr. Trump said.

The standard of proof in civil cases is much lower than in criminal cases. This means the task of the jurors is to find that it was more likely than not that Mr Trump assaulted Ms Carroll.