海角大神

Every hotel counts on its housekeeping staff.

They strip the sheets after a guest leaves, clean the tub and toilet daily, vacuum the room, and then get to do it all over 鈥� again and again 鈥� for anywhere from $12 to $15 per hour.

Now, in the wake of the allegations that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the IMF, sexually assaulted a housekeeper at the Sofitel Hotel, there is a new focus on these essential employees.

How safe are they? Do hotels report attacks on their staff or try to cover up the bad publicity?

Lawyers and experts involved with the hospitality industry say sexual harassment is taken seriously. One of the main reasons: If the hotel staff does not feel safe, they are not likely to be happy 鈥� no matter how much they get paid. Luxury hotels especially do not want the reputation of being unsafe or condoning attacks on their staff. And most hotels are not afraid to tell guests who are involved in inappropriate behavior to pack their bags and leave.

鈥淗otel management has an obligation to protect the employees,鈥� says Roy Maize, director of the Restaurant, Hotel and Meetings program at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and a former hotel Human Resources manager. 鈥淚f there is a criminal offense they would be obligated to take action.鈥�

Although crimes in hotels are relatively rare, they do take place. Between 2004 and 2008, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports there were on average 7,840 violent crimes a year in hotels or motels. This is only 0.1 percent of all violent crimes.

But, it鈥檚 not clear from the statistics how many of those crimes were committed against hotel or motel employees.

In the past, some of the violent crimes, such as rape, can be difficult for prosecutors to try, mainly because it can often be a matter of 鈥渉e says, she says.鈥�

In 2004, prosecutors dropped rape charges against basketball star Kobe Bryant after the alleged victim, a hotel employee, decided not to testify. The judge had ruled that Mr. Bryant鈥檚 lawyers could question the employee about her sexual behavior in days leading up to the alleged incident, which took place in his hotel room.

In the case of Mr. Strauss-Kahn, he is alleged to have attacked the housekeeper after he emerged nude from the bathroom. He is alleged to have then attempted to rape the victim, followed by an attempt to force her to perform oral sex.

His lawyers maintain their client is innocent. In some press accounts, there are implications of consensual sex. In others, there are reports Strauss-Kahn was at lunch when the attack was alleged.

鈥淏oth sides will start to look for corroborative evidence,鈥� says Larry Cunningham, associate dean of the St. John鈥檚 School of Law in New York.

For example, he says the New York Police Department might have looked for DNA evidence under the alleged victim鈥檚 fingernails or looked for scratch marks on Strauss-Kahn, who has been examined by the police.

鈥淚n addition, they would be interviewing people who saw the alleged victim right afterwards. What was her demeanor? Was she calm and collected or agitated and upset?鈥� says Mr. Cunningham.

However, he points out that DNA under a victim鈥檚 nails may have gotten there through consensual sex.

鈥淚t is way too premature to talk about this case when you don鈥檛 know the forensic evidence to evaluate the strength of the prosecutors鈥� case,鈥� he says.

Most hotels have some kind of sexual harassment training, says Celeste Yeager, who is vice chair of the Hospitality Team at the Dallas law firm, Gardere Wynne Sewell.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just sexual harassment by co-workers, but it can be for vendors or guests,鈥� says Ms. Yeager. 鈥淭here can be multiple avenues to report it so you feel comfortable telling what happened in your workplace.鈥�

She says many hotels train their staffs not to enter a room if a guest is present and is not properly dressed. In addition, she says, many hotels supply their employees with door stops so they can prop the door open so the room is open to the hallway.

Yeager says hotels encourage employees to report incidents. 鈥淚f the staff is fearful about going into rooms, then you don鈥檛 have a great staff,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou have to keep your staff happy for a high level of guest service.鈥�

At the same time, the hotel has to protect the privacy of the guest, says Maize. 鈥淭ypically, the room is the guest鈥檚 property,鈥� he says.

A normal protocol is for the housekeeper to knock on the door and announce they are outside. If there is no answer, they are taught to do it again. 鈥淚t would be very rare for them to enter and not announce who they were,鈥� he says.

However, he says if someone were in the shower, it鈥檚 possible they did not hear anyone knocking at the door.

He recalls working in Pennsylvania at a hotel and knocking on a door. No one answered and he let himself in. 鈥淭here was someone in the room,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淵ou just hope it does not happen and that the people answer you when you knock.鈥�