Orlando Apartment Complex Might Avoid Responsibility For Maintenance Man Accused of Rape

Several Central Florida media outlets are reporting about an alleged rape of a southeast Orlando apartment resident by an apartment complex maintenance man.  According to reports, the attack occurred at the Dovetail Apartments off of Curry Ford Road in Orlando.

The alleged victim had just moved in with a friend, and had arrived at home to find that she was locked out of her apartment.  She found the complex's maintenance man, who let her into the apartment and then allegedly sexually attacked her.  The victim alleged that the maintenance man told her that she owed him because he could have lost his job for letting her into an apartment where she was not on the written lease.  According to reports, the maintenance man has admitted that he consumed alcohol and cocaine before the interaction, but insists that the sex was consensual.

It will be interesting to see how this case plays out.  Obviously, we don't yet know exactly what happened, but we do know that an apartment resident or guest should not have to worry about being attacked by an employee of the apartment complex.

Businesses in general -- and especially apartment complexes and other similar businesses where employees might have access to peoples' private areas and property -- have a duty to make sure they are not placing dangerous persons in positions where they can harm patrons/residents.  Businesses have affirmative duties to background check, and then monitor their employees after hiring.

As an experienced Orlando sexual abuse attorney, it occurs to me that the Dovetail Apartments should be prepared to prove that it did a thorough background check, and should also be prepared to explain how closely it was monitoring its employee during his employment.

If you have any questions regarding an attack by a business employee, call Orlando accident attorney Kim Michael Cullen at 407-254-4901.