Couple sues Sandals Resorts after woman says she was sexually assaulted by butler on wedding day

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Couple sues Sandals after woman says she was groped by butler on wedding day
Shirleen Allicot has more on the Sandals wedding lawsuit.

NEW YORK -- It was supposed to be a dream destination wedding but one couple says their dream turned into a nightmare.



Ashley and Jeff Pascarella headed to the Sandals Royal Bahamian luxury resort with 70 of their closest friends and family for their 2016 nuptials.



"We had a lot of dreams," Ashley said. "Just that it would be just the perfect wedding on a paradise island."



"We had no idea what we were in store for," Jeff said.



The company hosts more than 10,000 weddings each year in their 24 luxury hotels worldwide.



But on the night before Ashley and Jeff were to say "I do," an intruder entered the room while Jeff was in the shower and sexually assaulted the bride-to-be.



"When I woke up, that's when I discovered that he was standing over me with his hands in my pants," Ashley said.


"I feel guilty like I should have been there," Jeff said. "You know, obviously there's nothing I could have done."



The couple recognized the assailant as Moral Adderly, the butler hired by Sandals to assist them during their wedding stay.



According to a new lawsuit filed by the couple, Adderly pleaded guilty to the assault just one week later.



"You know, it's the day before our wedding, I'm supposed to be that guy to protect her and care for her, and hours before our wedding something like this happens," Jeff said.



They say Sandals offered to reimburse them the $15,000 they spent on the destination wedding, but only if they agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement, something they refused.


The couple now suing the resort for $30 million.



"Here we have something that starts off as a horror and has created psychiatric difficulties that have lasted for years now," the couple's attorney said.



Sandals tells ABC News it prides itself on "creating safe and enjoyable resorts" and it "take(s) this type of allegation very seriously."

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