Decameron facing $6 million lawsuit over alleged rape of Canadian teens

The image of Panama as a winter refuge for thousands of Canadians who arrive each year. many on package-tour charter flights has been tarnished by a $6 million lawsuit filed against the Decameron Hotel Resort over the alleged rape of two  Canadian girls by employees of the hotel, in Cocle.

La Prensa reports that that the Wingrove family arrived in Panama on March 1, 2018, for an eight-day stay at the resort. They were accompanied by a friend of their daughter. Both girls were 18

On the night of March 5, , both young people, after having consumed alcoholic beverages, headed for the hotel disco. Just before  11 o’clock.

On their way, they met a man wearing dark pants and a white shirt with the hotel logo. He was a security employee who seeing their intoxication offered to accompany them. “And this is where the story takes a turn and the versions of the events s depend on who interprets them,” says La Prensa.

Both young people and the security employee deviated from the road to the disco and ended up in one of the areas not covered by security cameras. “There, according to both young women, they were raped by the hotel employee, the former employee says it was a consensual act. The young women, who were intoxicated didn’t speak a word of Spanish.

“A second security employee called by the first arrived at the scene, after the and when one of the girls returned to look for her shoes he also sexually abused the girl, in the presence of his workmate meaning one of the girls would have been raped twice.

After a visit to a health center both young people had expert and gynecological tests in search of evidence to back their version of events. Both showed lacerations in their genitals with little bleeding and one of them had semen and sperm remains on her clothes.

As a result of the tests, and l psychological and psychiatric examinations in  Canada, they decided to file criminal complaints against both security employees and a $6 million civil claim against the hotel.

No impunity
In July 2018, 3 months after the events, the Decameron hotel sent a note to the travel agency hired by the Wingrove, apologizing for what happened. “We wish to express our deepest regret over the whole situation Mrs. Wingrove has suffered from her family and her daughter’s friend … taking into account that sadly two members of our company were involved (…) those two members are no longer part of this company due to the fact that w e in no way support this type of misconduct, ” said the note signed by Juan González, the hotel’s resident manager. that situation are clarified and investigations are fulfilled because this kind of news affects the image of Panama. A positive message should be sent that there is no impunity in such cases.”

On December 13, 2018, a criminal complaint was filed against Humberto Mora and Jesús Bethancourt, who by then were  former employees of Decameron

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Meanwhile, in Panama, more than a year after the events, the alleged aggressors were arrested on  Saturday, August 3. and appeared before the accusatory criminal  court and , were benefited by the guarantee judge Ariadne Mora Lorenzo with precautionary measures of periodic notification before the competent authority and the prohibition of changing of address.

Prosecutor  Johany De León, said he would appeal the judge’s decision and request provisional detention of those involved.