Yes, you heard me right.  This is story that is getting picked up on all the newswires.  I seriously can’t believe it myself.

The woman and her children were leaving the hotel when the attacker stuck a gun in the woman’s back.  He proceed to rape her in front of her children and even threatened to assault one of her kids.  The assailant fled when another car pulled up.  He was arrested 3 days later and confessed.  The court papers state that the guy had been hanging around the place for days before the attack and that the hotel did not make him leave.

So, the woman gets raped isn’t bad enough — Marriott actually made it worse.  Their legal team “subpoenaed several people involved with the family, including a Pilates instructor, friends, tennis partners and the children’s baby sitter”.  Now, seriously, what the hell do those people have to do with the rape?  NOTHING!  In my opinion, it was to get the woman to drop her suit, because some of these people didn’t even know it had happened.  Nothing like shaming the victim and making her feel worse than she does!  Oh yeah, and she “failed to exercise due care for her own safety and the safety of her children and proper use of her senses and facilities,”.  Way to go, blame the freaking victim.

Marriott’s last statement on this matter:

“We wish to convey our respect and sympathy for Ms. Doe and her family, who were the victims of a horrendous crime in 2006. Marriott is profoundly sorry that such a terrible thing happened to the victim of this violent crime. And unfortunately this situation has created a mistaken impression that Marriott lacks respect and concern for Ms. Doe or other victims of violent crime. However, out of respect for the privacy of the victim and the expectations of the Court in the pending litigation, we are not at liberty to comment on the claims or defenses in this case.”

Really?  Because smearing her in court, that was done out of respect?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this . . .