Exonerated 'Central Park Five' sue Trump for defamation over his debate comments

A group of men, wrongly convicted as teenagers in a 1989 New York City rape case, have filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump. They claim Trump made false and defamatory statements about them during a recent presidential debate, alleging they pleaded guilty to crimes they did not commit. The men were pressured into false confessions and spent years in prison before being exonerated in 2002 when DNA evidence identified another perpetrator.

What crime were the men wrongfully convicted of?

What claims did Donald Trump make about the group of men during the presidential debate?

What were the circumstances surrounding the confessions given by the men?

What year were the men exonerated and what evidence led to their exoneration?

How did the public perception of the case change after the DNA evidence was revealed?