US media outlet exposes claims of sexual assaults at JA resorts

A United States media outlet is claiming that the rape of tourists in Jamaica is a serious problem that is not getting enough attention.

The Detroit Free Press today carried a report recounting the experiences of women and girls who were allegedly raped while vacationing at prominent hotels on the island.

According to the news outlet," an estimated one American is raped each month."

The article claims that statistics from the US State Department from 2011-2017 indicate that 78 Americans have been raped in Jamaica.

It further claimed that according to reports from the U.S. Embassy 12 Americans were raped in Jamaica last year, half of them inside resorts by hotel employees.

The article also claims that the U.S. Government suspects that this number may be higher as sexual assaults are often underreported.

" Perhaps most alarming for tourists is that sexual assaults are occurring inside gated resorts - the place they are led to believe that they are most safe," a section of the report read.

The news article claims that Jamaica's Ministry of Tourism declined to comment on pending sexual assault cases, saying it cannot comment on active investigations.

But, according to the article, the ministry defended the island's commitment to protecting tourists from crime.

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