# Trip Advisor No Longer Deleting Reviews Regarding Sexual Assaults At Resorts



## Black Ambrosia (Jun 3, 2019)

TripAdvisor will now flag sexual assault warnings on travel reviews

TRESA BALDAS | DETROIT FREE PRESS Updated 10:49 p.m. EDT May 17, 2019

Jamaica resort rape victim speaks out

The rapes of two Detroit women at a Jamaican resort has highlighted a pervasive problem on the island getaway: sexual assaults are ignored.

After two Detroit women were raped at a five-star resort in Jamaica last fall, neither had any idea how common their horror was.

They didn't know that there were scores of other victims like them. They didn't know that crimes like theirs happened at fancy hotels worldwide, or that 1,100 sexual assaults were cited last year alone in TripAdvisor reviews. *That's three tourist rapes a day.*

All the Detroit women knew was their terror, until a Free Press investigation revealed a more widespread problem that prompted TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel company, to change how it alerts travelers about sexual assault reports at hotels, resorts and various destinations.
In the wake of mounting public pressure and the Free Press investigation, TripAdvisor announced on Tuesday that it will now add sexual assault warnings on reviews, making it easier to find out which hotels and resorts have been cited for sex crimes at the hands of employees. Rather than have to read through tens of thousands of hotel reviews in search of sexual assault complaints, TripAdvisor users will now be able to click through a filter on each property to see whether there are any reviews with safety warnings involving rapes, robberies or druggings.






The new safety measure, which was announced on Tuesday, comes months after a Free Press investigation found that sexual assaults are a long-standing and unchecked problem in Jamaica and that several resorts have tried to cover it up. Multiple victims spoke to the paper about confidentiality agreements and payoffs by resorts, and reported their assaults on TripAdvisor — though the negative reviews were buried deep on the website and difficult to find.

Related content:
Jamaica resorts covered up sexual assaults, silenced victims for years
Resorts in Jamaica are facing a 'historic' sexual assault problem

That won't be the case anymore, says TripAdvisor, noting it did some digging of its own after the Free Press investigation and made an alarming discovery: In the last year alone, TripAdvisor found 1,100 reviews that referenced sexual assault claims by travelers worldwide.





“When your article hit, we started re-evaluating our policies," said TripAdvisor spokesman Brian Hoyt, noting the 1,100 reviews citing sexual assault raised eyebrows. "One incident is horrible — 1,100 is horrific. Having read through many of these accounts, it really motivated us at TripAdvisor to make sure we do right by these survivors and help them find a way to share this information with others."

Hoyt added: "Your article is a case study for why we are doing what we are doing."

The Free Press investigation also triggered an island-wide security audit of resorts in Jamaica, which is expected to be completed in June.

*Victim speaks out*
For two Detroit women whose sexual assaults in Jamaica triggered the newspaper's investigation, TripAdvisor's changes bring comfort —but not closure.

"It makes me feel good that something is being done about it. I just wish it could have been done before this situation," said one of the victims, 33, who spent six months in therapy after being raped at gunpoint by an employee at the Hotel Riu Reggae in Montego Bay last September.

This is the part that she really wants to get out — that she was raped in a five-star resort, the one place she believed she was safe.

"Be on the lookout," the woman warns other travelers. "(Crime) isn't just outside your resort. it's actually at your resort, where you feel the most comfortable."

The woman had gone to Jamaica to celebrate her birthday when on Sept. 27,  at 11:15 p.m., a gunman crawled up the balcony outside her second-floor room, barged into the room and raped her and her friend.  The nightmare lasted for about 15 minutes until the women got hold of the gun and shot the attacker twice before he jumped off the balcony and fled.

The suspect, who was wanted for a string of nearby rapes, was arrested, charged and pleaded guilty. He will be sentenced next month.

For his victims, life has never been the same. The Detroit mother who shot him just returned to work last month. She is still afraid of the dark, of being alone and of having doors open. She has relived the nightmare daily. The first months were the worst.

"It was rough. I had nightmares. I'd get up. And I would have night-sweats," said the woman, noting her fear and anxiety started to rub off on her 3-year-old. "She said, 'Mom, you don't have to be scared. It's okay.' "

The rapes of the Detroit women are now documented on TripAdvisor, detailed in several reviews posted by visitors who were at the same resort that night and heard the gunshots. When you click on Hotel Riu Reggae now, the safety filter shows up. The reviews citing the rapes are there.

The Detroit victim takes some comfort knowing that her ordeal shined light on the sexual violence that continues to harm women travelers, and brought about change.

"I guess I was used by God," she said. "It has to stop at some point, with somebody."

*Petition demands change, gains support *
Also facilitating change at TripAdvisor is the mounting public pressure over its review platform illustrated by a Change.org petition this week, demanding it make sexual assault warnings more visible to users on its website.

An estimated 500,000 people signed the petition on behalf of a woman named Kay, who said she was raped last October in the Horn of Africa by a tour guide who came with stellar reviews on TripAdvisor. The suspect has since been arrested and charged, and is awaiting trial.

After the attack, Kay tried to warn future tourists by leaving a review on the tour guide's TripAdvisor business page. But her reviews were deleted, she said, and her emails to TripAdvisor received no response for three weeks.

A petition drive followed.

"The world’s largest travel site shouldn’t recommend women hire rapists for their next vacation," Change.org said in a statement. "TripAdvisor needs to know that Kay isn’t giving up until they make meaningful changes."

TripAdvisor does not recommend or rank businesses; all of that is done by users who visit the site.

On Wednesday, Change.org officials tried to deliver Kay's signatures to TripAdvisor's office in New York, but the company refused to accept the signatures, said Juliana Britto Schwartz, an associate campaign director with Change.org.

"No one would come down," said Schwartz, who believes TripAdvisor has "some trust to rebuild with users."

Specifically, Schwartz said that TripAdvisor needs to come up with a way for sexual assault victims to anonymously report their attacks to the travel site, whether it be through a hotline, support center or staffer who talks directly to sexual assault victims. Currently, TripAdvisor only accepts first-person reviews, which critics believe scares some victims away from reporting their crimes.

In Kay's case, Schwartz said, her friends posted reviews about the alleged rape, but TripAdvisor removed them because they were secondhand. Kay's review was flagged because it was anonymous, and it took her three weeks to reach someone at TripAdvisor for help.

"There just isn’t a process and it shouldn’t take this long, " said Schwartz, who commended TripAdvisor for making some changes, but said more are needed.

"There's a piece that is missing," Schwartz said. "If survivors are dis-incentivized from reporting, then information isn’t out there for users who are trying to learn about safety while planning a trip."

TripAdvisor said it has offered to help Kay get her story out.

“We offered Kay to write a review, she turned it down," said Hoyt, TripAdvisor's spokesperson.

According to Hoyt, TripAdvisor took down Kay's first review because it was not written in the first-person, but rather in the third-person. Company policy requires that if people want to write reviews, good or bad, they have to be firsthand experiences, not someone else saying they heard "this or that'' happened to someone on vacation: that amounts to hearsay.

According to Hoyt, Kay is concerned about anonymity, though TripAdvisor has tried to accommodate those concerns, he said.

"We offered to help her set up a second anonymous profile where she could leave a nondescript review of what happened to her, and she refused that as well," Hoyt said. "We've given her multiple opportunities to write. ... If Kay wants to write a review of what happened to her, we'd let her. She has chosen not to do that."

According to Hoyt, Kay wants TripAdvisor to pull the business listing of the person she says raped her. But the company won't do that, he said, because it has a policy to list every tourism business, good or bad, and make travelers aware of what's out there.

"We have a lot of businesses that are poorly reviewed on TripAdvisor and they would love to get pulled. But we have a policy that every business that's open be listed," Hoyt said. "If we pulled bad businesses off the site, it would enable them to operate in the shadows without any transparency."

*Related: *Jamaica audits resorts in wake of sexual assault scandal

*New Jamaica travel alert*
The Free Press investigation into tourist sexual assaults started out as a crime story about two Detroit women who said they were raped at gunpoint at a Jamaican resort last fall, but weren't believed by resort staff and police. The gunman was caught and charged — he was wanted for multiple rapes in a nearby parish — though police initially painted the case as a sex-romp gone wrong. Jamaican tourism and police officials also maintained it was an isolated incident and that sexual assaults rarely happen there.





State Department data told a different story:  From 2011-17, 78 Americans reported being raped in Jamaica — that's roughly one U.S. citizen raped a month. The victims include a Michigan woman who said she was gang raped by three resort lifeguards, her teenage friend who said she lost her virginity to a resort rapist, a Georgia mother who said she was sexually assaulted in the water by a resort employee and an au pair who said she was drugged and raped at a resort.

The State Department also has issued numerous travel alerts warning tourists about Jamaica, the most recent one in April, which states: "Exercise increased caution in Jamaica due to crime. ... Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts."

But the details of the assaults inside the gated resorts were hard to come by. The State Department wouldn’t release specifics. Jamaican police and tourism officials were evasive.

So the Free Press spent weeks digging through U.S. court dockets and tens of thousands of  reviews on TripAdvisor, where it plugged in search terms like “rape,” “assault,” and “sexual assault” to see whether any hotel or resort had been flagged for such crimes.

Though hard to find, the stories were there. Buried within the mountain of reviews, here is some of what we found:


An 18-year-old au pair vacationing in Jamaica with a West Virginia family said she was drugged and raped at the Sandals-owned Beaches Negril Resort and Spa on July 4,  and the resort did nothing to help her.  “This resort is not a safe place for women and children,” she wrote in a lengthy TripAdvisor review before talking to the Free Press.
The West Virginia mother also took to Trip Advisor to vent and warn others about what happened to her au pair, writing: "My 18-year-old (au pair)  was given a drink directly from the bartender at Club Liquid. It was drugged. She was then taken to a bathroom by another 'guest' and raped. CHOKED. SCRATCHED and RAPED." The woman ended up removing the review after receiving notification from TripAdvisor that it had been “flagged” by another user. A Sandals payout followed: the woman and her husband received $25,000 in exchange for them signing a nondisclosure agreement , promising not to ever discuss the incident or post about it on social media.
An Atlanta mother who went to Montego Bay to celebrate her 50th birthday said she was sexually assaulted while in the ocean by a Sunscape Splash resort employee. “The water was up to my neck. I was very nervous so he kept telling me to relax … he began touching me very inappropriately, even though I said "no" he continued,” she wrote in her TripAdvisor review. She said the resort staff manipulated her into not pressing charges, warning her the criminal process would be lengthy and expensive, and convincing her to "go home and forget about it." Sunscape Splash did not respond to requests for comment, though the company responded to the Georgia woman’s review on TripAdvisor, stating:  "The safety of our guests is always our top priority ... Please reach out .... for me to better address your specific concerns."
A Kansas City woman who said she was sexually assaulted during a sailing excursion by a Sandals Ochi Beach Resort employee in October 2017. She alleges the resort rushed her into signing a nondisclosure agreement in exchange for a $4,500 trip.  "I said, 'Do I need to make a police report?' They said, 'No. You don't need to do that. We'll take care of everything.' "
A North Carolina couple whose honeymoon was ruined after a Sandals resort dancer named 'Showtime' allegedly sexually assaulted the wife on the dance floor, putting his hand up her dress, grabbing her genitalia and then forcing her hand on his private part to show his arousal. Sandals gave them a replacement, seven-night trip "as a goodwill gesture" and a complimentary couple's massage. In return, the couple signed legal forms releasing Sandals from any liability.
A woman in Minnesota wrote that she was sexually assaulted by a hotel employee at an unnamed all-inclusive hotel, but that her attacker was fired after she reported the incident. "I called the U.S. Embassy and they took my matter seriously. I had a bit of victim blaming by locals but am glad I reported it nonetheless," the woman wrote in a Nov. 1 TripAdvisor review. "I recommend caution even inside resorts — and do not ever walk around alone."
In the spring of 2014, a British mother claimed the management at Beaches Negril failed to call the police about the attempted rape of her 18-year-old daughter during a wedding trip. The suspect was a Sandals employee, but management allegedly told her, "Our hands were tied. Your daughter didn't want anyone to know." The mother demanded accountability. But after months of phone calls and emails to Sandals, the woman said Sandals offered her family three nights free accommodation at their resorts, but with a confidentiality clause. She called Sandals "despicable." Three weeks later, the Breathless resort responded: "It is both concerning and alarming to read the details of your experience which is not reflective of the kind of experience we aim to and are known to provide valued guests such as you." The outcome of that case is not known. Breathless did not respond to requests for comment.
In 2016, a Canadian traveler wrote that an entertainer who worked at the Grand Bahia Principe resort in Jamaica sexually assaulted her during a family trip in 2016. But the resort worker kept his job despite her complaint, she wrote on TripAdvisor, stating the resort "did absolutely nothing about this incident" and did not return her calls after she returned home.  Grand Bahia Principe responded to the allegation on TripAdvisor, stating in 2016: "We're surprised and concerned by your comments you have reported. We do sincerely apologize for any issues in your vacation and we will be sure to forward your concerns to our management team to investigate this matter." Grand Bahia Principe did not return calls seeking comment.






*TripAdvisor not new to controversy Safety and Security matter most*
TripAdvisor has long maintained that it is a transparent, informational travel platform that for decades has helped people plan vacations using others' reviews —  good and bad. However, it caters to travelers and businesses alike: Travelers can post negative reviews, and businesses are encouraged to respond.

The review platform, however, has triggered much controversy in recent years.

In 2017, TripAdvisor apologized to a Texas woman for deleting her review that detailed her rape by a security guard at a Mexican resort. TripAdvisor said the review was removed because it contained graphic language that violated community standards, but that it has since been reloaded on the website and that no reviews alleging sexual assault have been taken down.

TripAdvisor's apology followed a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation that revealed how TripAdvisor had deleted reviews from travelers reporting alcohol-related blackouts, rapes, injuries and deaths while vacationing at resorts in Mexico.

TripAdvisor has maintained that it did not delete any actual first-person reviews, but rather only took down comments that were posted in forums for violating various community standards that no longer exist.

"We understand that traveler needs and safety concerns will continue to evolve, and our platform will, too," said TripAdvisor President Lindsay Nelson. "We also recognize that we won’t always get it right, but we will continue to ask for feedback from our community and make changes as we go."

Nelson said informing travelers about safety issues is a top priority for TripAdvisor, citing a recent industry study that found 67 percent of travelers say a destination's "safety and security" matter most.

“The need for better access to safety information while traveling has never been greater,” Nelson said.“For many women, members of the LGBTQ community and persons with accessibility needs — obtaining information on travel safety can be a matter of life and death.”


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## NaturalEnigma (Jun 3, 2019)

This is so scary. I've been wanting to travel alone, but the thought of being sexually assaulted while on vacation is terrifying. I can't believe the hotel is offering them trips and money to silence them. I wouldn't want to come back to that hotel chain after that, and the money I get would be needed to pay for the years of therapy I'll need to heal from that experience. I'm glad TripAdvisor is making a separate section to include reviews of sexual assault, but I'm sure there are sexual assaults that happen to tourists that are not even reported.


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## Black Ambrosia (Jun 3, 2019)

Trip Advisor was complicit in the coverups. TA and the resorts should be held accountable. If I was an attorney I’d be working a class action lawsuit right now.


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## Dposh167 (Jun 3, 2019)

It shouldn't have to come to this for Trip advisor to pay attention. It's sad
And i'm still pissed at how these major hotel chains don't do anything about it but silence the victims. Clearly the safety of women or their guests is not their concern. I'm done with them


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## Chicoro (Jun 3, 2019)

@Black Ambrosia , Thank you for this posting. @Crackers Phinn , thanks  for the link to the video about the investigative report.

On TripAdvisor,  you have to select the hotel or resort. Then, scroll to the bottom for *Reviews*. There will be a box to check to see *Travel Safety *information. Click on that box, and the *assault and rape etc reviews *are there now.

This is for the Riu Reggae resort that @Black Ambrosia posted for us above. After seeing @Dposh167 comment I went straight to TripAdvisor to see. They have six (6) reviews posted for assault and rape related incidents at this hotel.

AND, most state that the staff told them nothing was wrong and nothing happened on that fateful night where those two women were raped and they wrestled the gun away and shot at the attacker twice!


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## CarefreeinChicago (Jun 3, 2019)

I am now at a point in my life I can afford to travel by myself but after reading all these horror stories I think I will just stick to groups.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin (Jun 3, 2019)

I saw a posting not long ago about a woman that traveled with her husband and some friends to a resort. She got up to go do something by herself and was waylaid and pulled into a maintenance room. The man kept her for 8 hours, beating her and doing other things. She said her husband and friends kept reporting her missing to the front desk and there was little concern. They finally found her and she was beaten horribly. They would not pay for her medical bills or anything


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## SoniT (Jun 3, 2019)

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> I saw a posting not long ago about a woman that traveled with her husband and some friends to a resort. She got up to go do something by herself and was waylaid and pulled into a maintenance room. The man kept her for 8 hours, beating her and doing other things. She said her husband and friends kept reporting her missing to the front desk and there was little concern. They finally found her and she was beaten horribly. They would not pay for her medical bills or anything


That's been all over the news for the past few days. It happened in January but she posted about it on Facebook last week and the story went viral.


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## msbettyboop (Jun 3, 2019)

Ladies, don't be scared. I've been traveling by myself since 2011 and been to many many countries.. However, I'm a super paranoid heifer and I'm always constantly aware I'm a single black woman traveling alone and act accordingly. Don't let this story stop you from exploring the world please.

I ain't going to Jamaica or Puerto Rico anytime soon though....


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## msbettyboop (Jun 3, 2019)

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> I saw a posting not long ago about a woman that traveled with her husband and some friends to a resort. She got up to go do something by herself and was waylaid and pulled into a maintenance room. The man kept her for 8 hours, beating her and doing other things. She said her husband and friends kept reporting her missing to the front desk and there was little concern. They finally found her and she was beaten horribly. They would not pay for her medical bills or anything



Jesus! Which country was this?


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## dancinstallion (Jun 3, 2019)

msbettyboop said:


> Jesus! Which country was this?



Dominican republic


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## dancinstallion (Jun 3, 2019)

Are all the victims white? Are they only targeting others? 

I am just trying to find a coping mechanism so I won't be so scared or paranoid to have fun while on my vacation in two weeks.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin (Jun 3, 2019)

Spoiler: Warning, graphic






msbettyboop said:


> Jesus! Which country was this?






@msbettyboop


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## Leeda.the.Paladin (Jun 3, 2019)

dancinstallion said:


> Are all the victims white? Are they only targeting others?
> 
> I am just trying to find a coping mechanism so I won't be so scared or paranoid to have fun while on my vacation in two weeks.


Even if they were, always stay vigilant .Nowhere is 100% safe


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## Theresamonet (Jun 3, 2019)

msbettyboop said:


> Ladies, don't be scared. I've been traveling by myself since 2011 and been to many many countries.. However, I'm a super paranoid heifer and I'm always constantly aware I'm a single black woman traveling alone and act accordingly. Don't let this story stop you from exploring the world please.
> 
> I ain't going to Jamaica or Puerto Rico anytime soon though....



What happened in Puerto Rico?? That’s my go to spot.


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## msbettyboop (Jun 3, 2019)

Theresamonet said:


> What happened in Puerto Rico?? That’s my go to spot.



Sorry. I think it's DR I meant. There was a thread recently about couples disappearing and getting murked in 5 star resorts


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## Black Ambrosia (Jun 3, 2019)

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> Spoiler: Warning, graphic
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is there a summary? The video isn't available.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin (Jun 3, 2019)

Black Ambrosia said:


> Is there a summary? The video isn't available.



My story...please no negative comments, this is my truth as I lived it.

How do you explain to your kids you were almost killed by some random stranger and that ‘Mommy is coming home, but I don’t look like myself’? How do you look into your parents eyes as they gaze upon your battered face telling them, ‘I’m okay, I’ll be okay’. Seeing friends break down in tears as they look at you. Everyone asking, ‘why?’, ‘how?’ You tell them a story. You recount every detail very matter of fact so that you don’t break down, that you stay strong… so they don’t see how you are crumbling inside with fear, disappointment, and weakness. 

Now that I’ve had some time to heal, it’s time to tell my story, in the hopes that women will be more aware, and hopefully prevent what happened to me. I also want people to understand that the resorts will claim NO liability or responsibility and you will have no recourse for any reimbursement of expenses. 

I went on vacation at the end of January with my husband and our best friends, Diane and James. We went to an all-inclusive resort, Majestic Elegance, in the Dominican Republic. We arrived on a Monday night. After checking out the resort, we went to bed relatively early (10ish), because let’s face it… it was a long day and we aren’t so young anymore!
Tuesday brought sunshine and beach-time! That night we met up with our friends for the theatre show. It was all about 80's music…right up our alley.  
The show ended somewhere around 10:30pm and we went back to our rooms. I had worked up an appetite dancing so I called down to room service. I received a ‘busy’ message so I tried calling again. At that time I got a message that they were no longer serving (I can’t remember the exact message). I told my husband I was going to run downstairs to the lounge in our building for a snack and I’d be back in 5 minutes. I ended up bypassing the lounge in our building, and opted to go to the lounge in the next building. which was on the beach. I thought I could get some pictures of the moon on the water, but I never made it to the beach.

As I went through the rotunda between buildings, I noticed there wasn’t anyone in the hallway. Not majorly odd, but still eerily quiet. I took about 10 or so steps just swinging my wristlet back and forth, not a care in the world. That's when I heard it. Heavy footsteps... one, two, three, four, then they sped up, and then before I could react I was plowed into from behind and immediately immobilized. His arms wrapped around me and he started pulling me immediately into an unlocked maintenance room... 

I’m not going to go into the gory details of everything, however, please know that I fought with everything I had at that moment. He was too strong. The next 8 hours brought me pain and fear. I was strangled multiple times to unconsciousness. My lifeless body was drug down concrete stairs to an underground waste water area. I was kicked in the head, I was beaten with a club. And then strangled again for the kill; at which time he disposed of my body into an area I refer to as the ‘hole’. I was unconscious multiple times during this savage attack, so I have no idea what else was done to me during that time. Somehow I survived. Again, I won't go into all of the hell that I went through being basically 'buried' in that hell hole for so many hours. 

I spent 5 days in the medical clinic (an offsite hospital) and had surgery to repair my injuries. I am still dealing with several issues, including nerve damage, as well as, all of the medical expenses since being home. Majestic Elegance claims no responsibility for the attack since I couldn't identify the attacker (even though he was wearing a uniform WITH the resort logo and hit me directly in front of the unlocked maintenance room and dragged me down concrete stairs to a basement so that no one could hear or find me.) Police did find evidence of the blood smeared mop handle and a maintenance hat in the area I was found, but this means nothing in these countries.
There are no cameras, no bright lighting, etc. My husband and friends went to the front desk at least 3 times throughout the night before security even agreed to look for me. This consisted of them taking a quad to the beach and looking on the beach. The security at Majestic Elegance thought I was drunk somewhere. I went missing at 10:30 and was found over 8 hrs later. It was hell. 

This man thought he killed me, but he failed. He is still out there, a predator, waiting for his next victim. Only the next woman may not be so fortunate. Please, please do not walk alone. These attacks are happening too frequently and the criminals are NOT being prosecuted even though evidence is found. Victims are not being compensated for medical or pain and suffering, and the resorts are not held liable. Majestic Elegance didn't offer to reimburse us for our vacation, let alone my current medical bills. Litigation went nowhere. Stories are being squashed. 
When you are in unfamiliar places, or even in familiar places, please remember…be smart, be safe. 

The pictures are from prior to the attack and after they cleaned me up at the hospital.

#majesticelegance #cnn #abcnews #cbsnews #nbcnews #GMA #TODAY


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## Nay (Jun 4, 2019)

^^^ Wow.  What a nightmare situation.


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## theRaven (Jun 4, 2019)

My word...

I was planning on taking a mini vacay to Jamaica for my birthday. I was going to do an all inclusive resort stay instead of staying with family. But this is making me rethink my plans.

I cannot believe how wicked the security onsite are to deny the women’s reports and the resort not to compensate anything.


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## Black Ambrosia (Jun 4, 2019)

theRaven said:


> My word...
> 
> I was planning on taking a mini vacay to Jamaica for my birthday. I was going to do an all inclusive resort stay instead of staying with family. But this is making me rethink my plans.
> 
> I cannot believe how wicked the security onsite are to deny the women’s reports and the resort not to compensate anything.


When was the last time you went there and what does your family say about the crime and sexual assaults?


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## moneychaser (Jun 4, 2019)

theRaven said:


> My word...
> 
> I was planning on taking a mini vacay to Jamaica for my birthday. I was going to do an all inclusive resort stay instead of staying with family. But this is making me rethink my plans.
> 
> I cannot believe how wicked the security onsite are to deny the women’s reports and the resort not to compensate anything.



They def harass you in Jamaica!  I blame it on ww sex tourism, especially in Negril.  You see so many gigolos/ Rastitutes walking around with their heavyset unattractive white suga mommas, its crazy!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.da...class-women-Britains-female-sex-tourists.html


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## Covagirlm (Jun 4, 2019)

dancinstallion said:


> Are all the victims white? Are they only targeting others?
> 
> I am just trying to find a coping mechanism so I won't be so scared or paranoid to have fun while on my vacation in two weeks.




Most of the victims are black.


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## Covagirlm (Jun 4, 2019)

moneychaser said:


> They def harass you in Jamaica!  I blame it on ww sex tourism, especially in Negril.  You see so many gigolos/ Rastitutes walking around with their heavyset unattractive white suga mommas, its crazy!
> 
> https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.da...class-women-Britains-female-sex-tourists.html




BW go out there for the same thing. I was nice to the chef at the carving station at a resort and a few minutes later he sent his phone number over to me  They think everyone wants some.


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## theRaven (Jun 4, 2019)

Black Ambrosia said:


> When was the last time you went there and what does your family say about the crime and sexual assaults?



That’s the thing. I’ve never been to Jamaica  before. It would be my first trip there, and I wanted to go for my birthday. Only my older cousins go to Jamaica to visit. She’s never mentioned sexual assault or rape, only people stealing.


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## Black Ambrosia (Jun 4, 2019)

theRaven said:


> That’s the thing. I’ve never been to Jamaica  before. It would be my first trip there, and I wanted to go for my birthday. Only my older cousins go to Jamaica to visit. She’s never mentioned sexual assault or rape, only people stealing.


I’d definitely ask but maybe be careful how you bring it up. I can see being offended by the question.


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## SoniT (Jun 4, 2019)

I went to Montego Bay, Jamaica last year. At that time, there was a State Dept. Level 2 Travel Advisory but we went anyway and had a fabulous time. We mainly stayed on the resort grounds but did go on  a snorkeling excursion and went to Rick's Cafe in Negril. I felt safe and the people were nice. I'm so glad that fear didnt stop me from enjoying that trip.


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## FoxxyLocs (Jun 4, 2019)

I hear nothing but bad things about the DR. I'm never going there.


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## Covagirlm (Jun 4, 2019)

theRaven said:


> That’s the thing. I’ve never been to Jamaica  before. It would be my first trip there, and I wanted to go for my birthday. Only my older cousins go to Jamaica to visit. She’s never mentioned sexual assault or rape, only people stealing.



It would be better if you stayed with family or maybe somewhere that they recommend, they can get you a safe driver to take you sightseeing. I love resorts for the comforts but if you stay on the resort imo you have the  same experience everywhere and that's boring to me. Have you already booked? Martinique is amazing, not as touristy as JA but it's beautiful and safe or Barbados.


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## TrulyBlessed (Jun 4, 2019)

Wrong thread


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## Crackers Phinn (Jun 4, 2019)

SoniT said:


> I went to Montego Bay, Jamaica last year. At that time, there was a State Dept. Level 2 Travel Advisory but we went anyway and had a fabulous time. We mainly stayed on the resort grounds but did go on  a snorkeling excursion and went to Rick's Cafe in Negril. I felt safe and the people were nice. I'm so glad that fear didnt stop me from enjoying that trip.


How many people went with you?


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## SoniT (Jun 4, 2019)

Crackers Phinn said:


> How many people went with you?


Just me and my husband.


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## theRaven (Jun 4, 2019)

Covagirlm said:


> It would be better if you stayed with family or maybe somewhere that they recommend, they can get you a safe driver to take you sightseeing. I love resorts for the comforts but if you stay on the resort imo you have the  same experience everywhere and that's boring to me. Have you already booked? Martinique is amazing, not as touristy as JA but it's beautiful and safe or Barbados.



I would definitely visit but would not want to stay with family. I’m not too close or familiar with them. Plus I’m not too ashamed to say I need basic amenities the resort would have my family in the local area would not.


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## SpiritJunkie (Jun 4, 2019)

I went to JA with my BF last year and stayed at his mama's house in country. I was a bit scared at night..she has bars on her windows , 3 gates to her front door and an electric gate to her property but I was still a little frightened. We stayed at the resort last few days....i never went out without my BF.  After reading all of this, i don;t even want to go there right now.  sounds really unsafe.


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## Covagirlm (Jun 5, 2019)

SoniT said:


> Just me and my husband.


Yea, in JA you'll be safe and the people will be nice when you are with a man. Women on solo trips or in small groups with other women are the ones having these problems.


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## Bronxcutie (Jun 7, 2019)

I’ve stayed at one resort mentioned, Sunscape Splash in Montego Bay.  The male staff were very flirtatious, but it’s no different then the Jamaican men here in NYC.  Horrible resort though! I’m also staying at another resort mention this December for my 40th, Riu Reggae.  These people have me nervous as hell!  Me and my girls each have our own rooms.  We will be doing things together but I wanted everyone to have their privacy.  This is scary!


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## Crackers Phinn (Jun 7, 2019)

Bronxcutie said:


> I’ve stayed at one resort mentioned, Sunscape Splash in Montego Bay.  The male staff were very flirtatious, but it’s no different then the Jamaican men here in NYC.  Horrible resort though! I’m also staying at another resort mention this December for my 40th,* Riu Reggae*.  These people have me nervous as hell!  Me and my girls each have our own rooms.  We will be doing things together but I wanted everyone to have their privacy.  This is scary!


This is the place where the two ladies from Detroit were raped last year.

One month before two Detroit women were raped at the Hotel Riu Reggae in Montego Bay, Jessica Hansen of Dallas, Texas, went to the same resort with three friends to celebrate her 30th birthday.

But the trip was cut short.

After one full day at the all-inclusive resort, Hansen said, the women left because of sexual harassment by "very sexually aggressive" male workers. It started out with compliments, gestures and long stares, and quickly escalated, she said.

One of her friends was followed around by an entertainment dancer named Showtime who demanded her phone number or Facebook info. She told him repeatedly that she wasn't interested, she said, but he would not stop and followed her for 40 minutes.

Hansen said she was taunted while waiting in line for Jamaican jerk chicken. A male staffer approached her, told her how innocent and pure she looked, and how she needed a Jamaican man to show her how "a real man should f--- her," she said.


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## nubiangoddess3 (Jun 8, 2019)

dancinstallion said:


> Are all the victims white? Are they only targeting others?
> 
> I am just trying to find a coping mechanism so I won't be so scared or paranoid to have fun while on my vacation in two weeks.



Nope, in the DR the victims are black and white. I think the target are foreigners.


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