Alleged Rape Cover-up by KBR and State Department

rhadamanthus · May 12, 2011

She has her day in court finally.

At the outset, I'm suspicious of KBR's side of the story.

HOUSTON-- A woman who said she was gang-raped in 2005 while working in Iraq for the Houston-based company KBR is finally getting her day in court.

Six years ago Jamie Leigh Jones, of Conroe, blamed the attack on KBR, but the company said those allegations are not true.

Jones said she has been waiting for years for her attackers to be punished and the civil trial begins on June 13. The trial will take place on the third floor of the federal courthouse in downtown Houston.

KHOU 11 News last talked to Jones in 2009, and that’s when she said she wanted to tell her story in front of a jury.

"I think this cause is bigger than myself; I want to have a deterrence, so this doesn't happen to other women and other wives and daughters that go overseas," she said.

Jones went overseas to Iraq in 2005. She was a 20-year-old information technology technician for KBR. Four days after arriving, she said she was drugged and raped by co-workers.

"When I woke up the next morning I was naked in the barrack and I was bleeding and I had bruises," she said. "I was sore between my legs and chest, I was groggy and confused."

Her lawyer Todd Kelly said he will show photos of those bruises in court.

"There is medical evidence that will clearly show that it was nonconsensual and that her injuries were related to trauma," he said.

Jones gave graphic testimony to a congressional committee in 2007.

She is suing KBR for damages, because she claims the company created a sexually-hostile work environment overseas. Her attorney said other women were assaulted and he expects some of them to testify at Jones' trial. Jones' attorney would not reveal how much they are seeking in damages, but it's likely to be millions of dollars.

KHOU 11 News Legal Analyst Gerald Treece said Jones must prove two things to a jury.

“You have to show that the warning light, the red warning light was on, and after the light was on that indicated a hostile sexual environment, and after the red light is on, that the company did nothing," he said.

KBR is disputing Jones' claims. They said she was a willing participant in the sex act, and they said the incident only involved only one man: KBR firefighter Charles Bortz. Bortz is also named in the lawsuit.

"KBR welcomes the opportunity to present what really happened in Iraq in July 2005 to the judge and jury and will provide evidence and testimony from multiple witnesses who were in Iraq with Ms. Jones at the time of the alleged incident,” KBR said in a statement recently released.“
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CrazyDave · May 12, 2011

rhadamanthus said: ↑

At the outset, I'm suspicious of KBR's side of the story.
Click to expand...

At the outset, I'm suspicious of her chances vs. their team and connections, regardless who is lying and what actually happened.

rhadamanthus · May 12, 2011

CrazyDave said: ↑

At the outset, I'm suspicious of her chances vs. their team and connections, regardless who is lying and what actually happened.
Click to expand...

I would not be surprised in a settlement though.

CrazyDave · May 12, 2011

normally I'd agree. In this case, will be interesting to see.

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Alleged Rape Cover-up by KBR and State Department

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