Husband Slams Cops After Wife's Assault in Dominican Republic — But Police Question Their Claims

A Delaware woman beaten at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic and her husband have accused authorities of mishandling the case — but local police have said the husband’s statement had “discrepancies” while a national police spokesperson have said the family’s account “doesn’t match” other information.

On May 30, Tammy Lawrence-Daley shared a Facebook post entitled “My Story,” detailing the January evening she says she was attacked and left for dead while staying at the all-inclusive Majestic Elegance resort.

The attack occurred on the second night of the 51-year-old’s vacation with her husband and friends. She says she was attacked while walking alone outside on the resort by a man wearing a hotel uniform, who forced her into a basement crawl space where she stayed for eight hours before being found.

In her post, Lawrence-Daley said she was sharing her story after five months to warn others about the dangers of walking alone.

On Friday, Lawrence-Daley’s husband, Christopher Daley, publicly criticized the police, telling NBC10 they had mishandled the case. He claimed they delayed the administration of a rape kit and failed to follow up on evidence and share important documents with the family’s attorneys.

In an interview with PEOPLE on May 30, Lawrence-Daley said she is not entirely sure if she was sexually assaulted. A spokesperson with the Dominican Republic Attorney General’s Office told NBC10 her rape kit came up negative, but Lawrence Daley previously told PEOPLE her kit wasn’t administered for 48 hours, which she believes might have compromised the result.

“We had to force them to do a rape kit and that didn’t happen until 48 hours later. And even at that point it was an external swab, that was it,” Lawrence-Daley told the Associated Press.

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However, spokespersons from both national and local police have disputed the couple’s claims that they mishandled the case, saying that as soon as they heard of Lawrence-Daley’s attack, investigators followed protocol collecting evidence, conducting interviews and taking her testimony.

“There is a lot of conjecture about the case, a lot of information that doesn’t match some of the statements,” National police spokesman Col. Frank Felix Duran told the AP. “We have to wait for the investigation to end.”

Speaking to NBC10, Punta Cana Tourism Police spokesman Ramón Brito said investigators found “incongruencies” and “discrepancies” in Daley’s interview with police.

Daley told NBC10 he and his wife went to a local courthouse in the city of Higuey before flying home to file a formal complaint with police. He claimed the couple and their attorney still have not received a copy of the complaint, despite requesting it.

However, a spokesperson from the Dominican Republic Attorney General’s Office told the station the couple didn’t file a complaint at all — declining to do so in front of a U.S. Embassy official.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Lawrence-Daley said hotel staff was unhelpful as well: She said that while she was missing, a staff member told the husband that it was possible she was drunk and sleeping it off. She also said her husband had to go to the front desk at least three times before security began searching for his wife.

On Friday, in a statement to NBC10, a hotel spokesperson said the resort has always taken the case seriously.

“We emphasize that, since the occurrence of this regrettable event, we have treated Mrs. Lawrence-Daley’s situation with due diligence and attention,” the statement read. “We have always implemented security measures in our hotels for our guests and employees.”

Spokespersons with the hotel and both the local and national police agencies could not be reached for comment Monday.

According to the AP, after a three month investigation, Majestic Elegance’s insurance company informed Lawrence-Daley in a letter that the hotel bore no responsibility due to the fact she was unable to identify her attacker. Lawrence-Daley told PEOPLE she was unable to see her attacker because her eyes were swollen shut from her injuries and she at one point lost consciousness.

“Litigation went nowhere. Stories are being squashed,” Lawrence-Daley wrote in her post. “When you are in unfamiliar places, or even in familiar places, please remember…be smart, be safe.”

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