On July 16, 2015, a woman was found naked in the bushes behind the House of Blues at Downtown Disney. The Orange County Sherriff office suspects that the woman is a victim of a rape. According to reports, Disney security guards found the woman in the Disney’s Westside Promenade at around 5a.m. The woman was disoriented and a used condom was found next to her body. The unidentified victim remembers going to the House of Blues with a friend but does not remember being separated from her friend, leaving the House of Blues, or the man who sexually assaulted her.
Although Disney has refused to comment on the situation, they may be held responsible for failing to provide adequate security to prevent criminal acts of this sort. Under Florida law, when a property owner invites the public onto his property in order to make a profit, the property owner must make sure that the property is safe. In particular, a duty exists to take reasonable and necessary precautions to protect guest from criminal attacks, which were reasonably foreseeable. Hall v. Billy Jack’s, Inc., 458 So.2d 761 (Fla. 1984). The attorneys at Wooten Kimbrough, P.A. have extensive experience handling cases where a company fails to provide appropriate security to prevent heinous acts such as this. The Orange County Sherriff Office has released a surveillance photo of a potential suspect and urge anyone who has information to contact CrimeLine.
