Butler at luxury Ritz-Carlton accused of raping guest goes unpunished
An Australian woman has shared horrifying injury photos she claims were taken after she was raped by a butler at a $3000-a-night luxury holiday resort.
Xu Yitong, 26, a student from Sydney, arrived in the Maldives on June 6 for a short solo trip.
She was due to leave on June 10 but decided to extend her stay and booked a room at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives on the Fari Islands.
But this is where trouble struck, after the tourist was assigned a butler, a feature service at the luxury resort which was recently awarded the Forbes Travel Guide’s 2023 Five-Star award.
Soon after checking in, Xu, who is of Chinese origin but is now a resident in Australia, said she accidentally damaged her phone with water and was unable to contact her family.
When the butler was sent to her room for assistance, he lent her his phone, but then allegedly began sexually harassing her.
Xu, who has agreed to waive her anonymity to share her story, submitted a complaint of “criminal sexual contact” at the Thulusdhoo station with Sergeant Abdul Harris on June 11.
But she took to Twitter on June 18, claiming officers were not helpful.
Describing the alleged incident, she said it began when the unnamed butler began behaving inappropriately towards her inside her room.
“He took a piece of chewing gum and started chewing and asked me if I wanted to kiss, which left me numb,” she said.
“I was blank. I said ‘no, I don’t like physical contact’. I took my computer and translated it to him in case he didn’t understand.
“He then said, ‘Don’t worry you can feel comfortable with me’ and leaned towards me and touched my mouth.
“I didn’t open my mouth and he said ‘Yoly, no need to be ashamed, sex is OK’ and tried to force open my mouth with his tongue.”
Xu went on to claim that the butler even asked “if I’m gay” when she rejected his advances and “didn’t let him” touch her mouth.
“I was in my pajamas. He started forcing his tongue into my mouth and said ‘I will be a gentleman’,” she continued.
“He then pushed me to the bed and started removing his pants and he put his penis in my mouth twice. He then went ahead and touch me down in my private parts and tried to have sex with me.”
Met with the guest’s resistance, the butler allegedly masturbated onto her computer screen before wiping his semen off with a towel and leaving, telling Xu she simply “needed time to open up”.
Xu said she reported the incident to hotel managers, who she alleged tried to confiscate the laptop and the semen-soaked towel from her room.
“I told them this should be handed over to police only. Police came and took my statement. They took samples from my mouth and told me it would take a week to get the results and that I should leave before the results come.”
The officers reportedly told her that they “had no reason to arrest the employee”.
Xu further claimed that she underwent medical examinations and had bruises all over her body. She said was then kicked out of the hotel because they “could no longer arrange my accommodation”.
She said: “I left the hotel and there wasn’t even an apology. You only train your housekeepers to ask for tips. I was raped in your hotel and you did nothing. You told me I did this to get a free stay. I paid the full amount to the hotel. I’m a Chinese living in Australia. My family is well-reputed and rich.”
Local media reported that Maldives Police officers have yet to make any arrests based on the tourist’s complaint.
They said they have taken the “necessary samples” for investigation, but declined to give further information on the case.
The Ritz-Carlton hotel in the Maldives said it is investigating a tourist’s claim and was working with local investigators.
“We take such allegations seriously and this matter is currently with the police,” a spokesperson said.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and associates are of the utmost importance.
“We continue to co-operate with the authorities, and are in regular communication with the guest.”
