Rape victim claims Pop's Saloon failed to provide adequate security

A Jefferson County, Mo. woman is suing Pop's Saloon claiming she was raped in a restroom by multiple unknown assailants at 7 a.m. on March 18, 2005.

The plaintiff claims the Sauget tavern, owned by Mega Leasing Corp., failed to provide an adequately staffed security guard force.

According to the complaint filed March 6 in St. Clair County Circuit Court, she was repeatedly sexually assaulted, suffered serious psychological disorders and physical disability and was potentially exposed to sexually transmitted diseases. She also claims the rape led her to attempt to commit suicide.

Represented by Joseph M. Taylor of Taylor & Taylor in St. Louis, the plaintiff claims the defendant had a legal duty to take reasonable steps to protect its business invitees.

She also claims her attack was forseeable by the defendant because the premises were unreasonably dangerous and hazardous.

The suit claims the tavern had been the scene of "frequent and numerous violent crimes" during the period of five years prior to the date of her assault.

"That due to the prior criminal activity on its premises and by the nature of defendant's business, defendant had notice of the need to exercise care in implementing security procedures and personnel deployment to prevent or reduce the likelihood of such criminal incidents on their premises, including plaintiff's rape," the complaint states.

The plaintiff is seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages, plus costs.

"That adequate warnings were needed, in addition to other security measures, to inform defendant's patrons, business invitees and others of the likelihood of such incidents," the complaint states.