Delaware woman who says she was brutally beaten in the Dominican Republic sues resort for $3 million

Brandon Holveck
Updated

The Delaware woman who claims she was beaten unconscious while on a January vacation in the Dominican Republic has sued the resort she and her husband stayed at for $3 million.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley, a 51-year-old from Wilmington, first revealed her story in a lengthy Facebook post made on May 29. She says she was beaten and strangled multiple times to unconsciousness while staying at Majestic Elegance Punta Cana.

She's now suing Majestic Resorts, the parent company of the Punta Cana resort, for "justice" and "accountability" in addition to compensation for "permanent, life-changing injuries," according to a press release distributed by her lawyers Wednesday night.

"Mrs. Lawrence-Daley and her team want Americans to know that they are being misled to believe that the Majestic Elegance Punta Cana did their job in handling this matter and that their facilities are safe," the press release reads.

In this undated photo made available by Chris Daley, shows his wife Tammy Lawrence-Daley after an attack at a resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in January 2019. Lawrence-Daley made the attack public on social media, detailing a vicious hours-long assault by a man she said was wearing the uniform of an all-inclusive resort.
In this undated photo made available by Chris Daley, shows his wife Tammy Lawrence-Daley after an attack at a resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in January 2019. Lawrence-Daley made the attack public on social media, detailing a vicious hours-long assault by a man she said was wearing the uniform of an all-inclusive resort.

In a statement released in June, Majestic Elegance shed doubt on Lawrence-Daley's story saying it was waiting for police to explore "weak point, contradictions" in the "strange and unusual case."

The resort claimed that after the incident, Lawrence-Daley formally demanded a $2.2 million compensation agreement. They say she went public with her story only after she didn't get a response.

Dominican Republic deaths: What we know, including two more US tourists incidents

At least 10 tourists have died while visiting the Dominican Republic this year and others, like Lawrence-Daley, have reported serious injuries.

Officials from the Dominican Republic say that the deaths are nothing out of the ordinary and in-line with their typical rates. The U.S. State Department currently rates the Dominican Republic as a level 2 ("exercise increased caution") out of 4 on its travel advisory alert system.

'Brutally beaten, assaulted, strangled'

The lawyer's press release says that Lawrence-Daley was taken into a maintenance closet and "brutally beaten, assaulted, strangled and left for dead in a drainage area" by "at least one or two individuals" who they believe to be maintenance workers from the resort.

In this undated selfie taken by Tammy Lawrence-Daley, shows her with her husband Chris Daley. Police in the Dominican Republic are investigating an attack on Lawrence-Daley at a resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in January. Lawrence-Daley made the attack public on social media, detailing a vicious hours-long assault by a man she said was wearing the uniform of an all-inclusive resort.

Lawrence-Daley said she was found eight hours after the attack, after her husband and friends they were traveling with asked the front desk to search for her three times. Her lawyers say that it was only after a shift change on January 30 that her "near-dead body" was found.

Lawrence-Daley initially split off from the group after a late-night show to get a snack at the lounge in her building, but, according to her post, she decided to go past their lounge to the lounge in the next building near the beach to get pictures of the moon on the water.

It was in the rotunda between the two buildings, Lawrence-Daley said in the post, that a man "plowed into her from behind" and pulled her into the maintenance room.

Original story: Delaware woman recounts attack at Dominican Republic resort in viral post

Lawrence-Daley spent five days in the hospital. She was treated for multiple abrasions and bruises and had surgery to repair her gum line. She says she is still dealing with several physical ailments including nerve damage and "permanent disfigurement."

Her lawyers say the Lawrence-Daley was so bloodied and swollen that it was difficult to identify her and that she couldn't see when she was found. They say she lost a tooth, showed signs of strangulation marks around her neck and had bruises on her back.

The resort's earlier statement said that Lawrence-Daley had bruises on her face and a broken fingernail but did not have "any other signs of violence on her body" and was in possession of her purse, cell phone and other personal belongings when she was found.

Lawrence-Daley said that a rape kit was delayed by 48 hours and only administered after she showered.

The Associated Press reported in early June that police in the Dominican Republic are investigating the attack.

"There is a lot of conjecture about the case, a lot of information that doesn't match some of the statements," police spokesperson Col. Frank Durán said at the time. "We have to wait for the investigation to end."

Lawrence-Daley testified in the Dominican Republic after her hospital visit before returning to the U.S. She and her lawyers say that they have not received any reports.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Dominican Republic: Woman claims she was beaten, sues resort