An alleged rape victim is suing Hilton Worldwide and its Embassy Suites brand after staff gave a man later convicted of attacking her a key to her room.
Perpetrator Christopher Edward LaPointe was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex abuse and burglary for the 2014 attack at the Embassy Suites in Des Moines.
The lawsuit alleges staff gave LaPointe a key to the woman’s room after he told them he had been locked out by his girlfriend.
LaPointe was a regular guest at the hotel and a loyalty program member who was well known to hotel staff.
The lawsuit alleges he ‘proceeded over a substantial amount of time to assault, batter, terrorize and rape’ the victim.
LaPointe had harrassed the woman for two days at the hotel before the attack took place.
The filing is seeking undisclosed damages for ‘negligence, recklessness and outrageous conduct’ by Embassy Suites, Hilton and hotel owner, Delaware based Atrium TRS III.
The lawsuit was first filed in June 2015 but was put on hold while the parties entered mediation talks, however no settlement terms could be agreed.
