Brfazio recounted a harrowing experience at the Hard Rock Hotel in the Dominican Republic, where a 22-year-old woman, apparently under the influence of drugs, forcibly entered their hotel room at 2:00 a.m. and violently attacked his wife. The woman knocked his wife into a wall, punched her repeatedly, and shoved her into a bathroom, resulting in severe bruises and a sprained ankle. Despite the couple’s immediate call for help, hotel security responded slowly and inadequately, showing no urgency in assisting or protecting them.

When the hotel finally involved the police, the situation deteriorated further. Rather than treating the couple as victims, the authorities detained both the attacker and Brfazio’s wife, held them in poor conditions at a police station, and denied his wife basic care or medical treatment. During their detention, police officers mocked his wife, ignored her injuries, and allegedly expressed anti-American sentiments. Despite surveillance footage and clear evidence, the couple was pressured into signing a legal agreement stating the incident was a mutual misunderstanding—just to avoid prolonged detention and make their flight home.

Throughout the ordeal, Hard Rock staff showed little concern or accountability, referring to the assault as merely an “incident between two guests” and refusing to take meaningful action. Brfazio’s account raises serious concerns about guest safety, the hotel’s crisis response, and the treatment of assault victims both by resort security and local authorities.

Read the full story at TripAdvisor (22 march 2024)