Miami Accident Lawyer Blog

MIAMI, FL— June 8, 2011 – “Not guilty,” pleaded former International Monetary Fund Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was accused of sexually assaulting a chambermaid at Manhattan’s Sofitel hotel last month. Before the French politician could even set foot inside the NYC courtroom on June 6, so he could plead not guilty to sexual assault and attempted rape charges, he was greeted by a fuming mob of hotel employees. New York Daily News reports suggested their message was simple and to the point: “Shame on you.”
The former head of the IMF was placed on house arrest, with his bail set to $6 million, after a housekeeper at the Sofitel hotel claimed Strauss-Kahn forcefully removed her clothing before making her “perform oral sex and submit to anal sex.”
While defense attorneys on the case are expected to argue that the episode was consensual, those representing the alleged sexual assault victim, who has remained both unidentified and unseen thus far, maintained that his client had no intention of dropping the charges or settling with the defendant.

Additionally, a recent Newsweek report shed light on a luxury hotel industry in which the need to fulfill the desires of rich and powerful guests has the potential to surpass the need to ensure that employees are not subject to harassment or sexual assault.

According to the Miami sexual assault attorneys of Gerson & Schwartz, many hotels are reluctant to report occurrences that could be viewed as sexual harassment or assault due to the fact that the cases will likely result in negative press. 
Even an unidentified security supervisor at one of Las Vegas’ major hotels told reporters, “We are not police. We are not looking to call something a crime. Unless someone wants to press charges, we try not to call Metro.”
Furthermore, although panic buttons could help protect hotel employees from potentially dangerous guests, the question remains: Are hotel security officers trained to react and respond in an appropriate and timely fashion?

Though a trial date for the Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case has yet to be set, the case is ongoing.

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MIAMI, FL—June 06, 2011 – Citing recent cases of sexual assaults on hotel maids, two New York City hotels have decided to offer their housekeepers panic buttons as a means of protecting them from potentially violent guests. According to Reuters, the Manhattan-based Sofitel hotel, where International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn allegedly sexually assaulted a chambermaid during his stay, and The Pierre hotel, where the former chairman of one of Egypt’s main banks, Mahmoud Abdel-Salam Omar attempted to rape a housekeeper, plan to give their employees panic buttons so they have the ability to contact hotel security if they find themselves in danger.

Even the New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council has reportedly taken the initiative to begin petitioning for a law that would require all New York hotels to provide their employees with panic buttons. According to the Miami injury attorneys of Gerson & Schwartz, who specialize in cases of on-the-job rape and sexual assaults, a nationwide law mandating the use of panic buttons in hotels could be extremely conducive in the fight against workplace violence.

Bureau of Justice Statistics indicated that of approximately 36,500 workplace victimizations reported on an annual basis, 2.1 percent consisted of cases in which employees became victims of workplace sexual assault or rape.

Additionally, statistics provided by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) suggested that only about 40 percent of all rape cases are ultimately reported to police. If a rape victim does indeed report their case to authorities, there is only a 50.8 percent chance that the attacker will be arrested.

Furthermore, while there is an 80 percent chance that the offender will be prosecuted in the case, there remains only a 58 percent chance of conviction and a 69 percent chance that the assailant will be sentenced to time in jail.

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MIAMI, FL— May 25, 2011 – With sexual assault and attempted rape charges pending against IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, countless hotels appear to be assessing their security methods to ensure that guests and employees receive adequate protection from criminal activity. According to information provided by Reuters, Strategic Hotels And Resorts Inc. Chief Executive Laurence Geller told reporters that following the attack of any guest or hotel worker, “You revise your protocols and procedures… Physical abuse has always been a problem in hotels.” 
After a chambermaid at the Manhattan-based Sofitel hotel accused Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, of forcing her to “perform oral sex and submit to anal sex” when she entered his suite to clean, officers from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) arrested and booked the French politician into Riker’s Island jail. Though he posted bail and was eventually released, he remains detained inside a heavily guarded NYC apartment.

“This is still a fairly rare and exceptional event, thankfully, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore it,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott International Inc.’s chief operating officer. Sorenson noted, “You have to find a way to both make sure our associates are safe and doing the right thing and you have to protect the privacy of our guests…There’s a little bit of tension between those two things.”

At the hotel where the alleged sexual attack occurred, housekeeping employees are required to leave the door open when performing standard job duties. NYPD investigators contended that data stored on the electronic card reader of Strauss-Khan’s suite door indicated the maid left the door open on the day she was allegedly assaulted.

Geller noted that electronic card readers have had a significant positive impact on hotel security.  “The key rack was the villain of all villains, strangely enough,” said Geller, explaining that when room keys were hung on racks behind the receptionist’s desk in the past, attackers could easily find out which suites were vacant and which guests occupied the remainder of a hotel’s rooms.

Furthermore, the Associated Press recently reported that “material” discovered on the uniform the sexual assault victim was wearing on the day of the alleged attack matched Strauss-Khan’s DNA. Investigators also collected other pieces of physical evidence, such as a portion of the rug where the maid reportedly spat after performing involuntary oral sex on Strauss-Khan. The results of DNA tests on those items are still pending.

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