Woman Suing Hotel for Giving Room Key to Drunken Stranger
Man Allegedly Claimed to Be Her Husband, Sexually Assaulted Her
Alison Fournier, a New York businesswoman, is suing a Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide after hotel staff gave a drunken stranger her room key.
Fournier alleges that she was sexually assaulted when she stayed at Hotel Kämp in Helsinki, Finland for a business trip. Hotel Kämp is operated by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.
Fournier is being represented by Gloria Allred and Cuti Hecker Wang LLP. According to a release from Allred, on January 15, 2011, Fournier was petitioned for sex by the same man and she turned him down. She went to bed that night and the man came into her hotel room with a key, drunk. He allegedly got into her bed, and began groping her naked body. She said she woke up, put on a housecoat and ran out of her room.
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The suit alleged that the man was able to retrieve the key because he told the front desk staff that he was her husband and was not asked for identification.
Fournier says she stayed at the hotel because of its good reputation. She is suing for negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
"To this day, I still suffer from the memories of that night and I am still not able to put it behind me," Fournier said in a statement.
Fournier says out of fear she has given up her career, moved out of New York and moved closer to family.
“Businesswomen have a right to safety and security and especially need that safety and security when traveling abroad,” said Gloria Allred to ABC News.
“They are particualrly vulnerable when traveling alone. Starwood's negligence, misconduct and reckless disregard for the safety of Ms. Fournier has led to devastating and life changing consequences for her. … They need to be fully accountable and make sure that this never happens again.”
The amount she is suing for will be determined at trial.
Just last week, a man was able to get into boxer Mike Tyson’s Las Vegas hotel room to mug him. Tyson awoke and the attempted burglar fled once he realized he was in the room of the boxing champion.
“We have received a report of an incident that is currently under investigation,” a representative of The Cosmopolitan hotel told TMZ. “As always, guest safety is of the utmost importance.”
