TWO air-stewardesses who were sexually attacked by an intruder three years ago are suing the Grand Hyatt Singapore hotel for about $1 million in damages.
Together with their employer, Garuda Indonesia, they are alleging that the five-star hotel neglected to provide adequate security during their stop-over stay in April 2003.
Expected to come under scrutiny, among other things, is the level of security provided by the hotel. Security experts may be called upon to testify.
On the day of the incident, the stewardesses, then aged 30 and 31, were trailed to their room on the 16th floor by their attacker Suresh Nair, who is now behind bars.
The 31-year-old, a married woman, was raped twice in the room; the younger woman was molested thrice.
Court papers say that the rape victim is seeking $750,000 in damages, and the other woman, $400,000 for physical and emotional suffering.
Garuda itself is claiming about $55,000 to recoup the costs it incurred in hospital bills, legal fees and for an alleged breach of the agreement to provide accommodation for its air crew.
At a pre-trial conference on Wednesday, High Court Deputy Registrar Foo Chee Hock fixed nine days in August for the civil suit to be heard.
Nair, then 28, used an authentic-looking toy gun - complete with laser beam - to keep his victims quiet. After the sex attacks, he took lewd pictures of the pair and threatened to post the images on the Internet if they reported the matter to the police.
The software technician, who turned out to be a serial rapist, was later nabbed and found guilty of five charges of rape and aggravated molest.
During the criminal trial in November that year, the court was told that the rape victim had an abortion about a month after the attack.
Nair, a Malaysian, was sentenced to 26 years' jail and given 24 strokes of the cane. He is now in Changi Prison.
The case is understood to be the first in which a hotel is sued by guests who fell victim to sexual offences on the premises.
That day, Nair was seen waiting in the hotel lobby, where it is understood that he was approached by a duty manager and questioned.
He apparently said he was waiting for some airline staff. After they arrived, he followed them into the lift.
His movements thereafter were believed to have been captured by the hotel's closed circuit camera.
On the 16th floor, he emerged with the women, who turned left towards their room.
He turned right but later made a U-turn. One of the women used a bag to keep the room door ajar as they hauled their pieces of luggage in.
It was then that he forced his way in.
After nearly half an hour, one of the women tried to bolt from the room amid screams and shouts.
Nair panicked and fled, leaving behind the digital camera which contained photographs of his girlfriend. It was through this that police subsequently tracked him down and arrested him.
It is unclear whether Nair will be called to testify.
Lawyers from Gabriel Law Corporation who are representing the plaintiffs are expected to probe into the hotel's security procedures before and since the incident to make their case.
The hotel, defended by Mr Ravindran Chelliah,who are disputing the claims, will go all out to prove that security measures befitting a five-star hotel were then in place.
