MPs demand to meet Travelodge CEO over security after Maidenhead sexual assault case | Violence against women and girls
More than 20 MPs have demanded an urgent meeting with Travelodge’s CEO after a man who was given a room number and key card by hotel staff sexually assaulted a woman.
The case of Kyran Smith, 29, who was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison last month, raises “deeply concerning” questions, MPs said. He attacked the woman at an after-party in December 2022.
Jo Boydell was asked to meet MPs and colleagues to discuss the case, including the chain’s security processes and procedures that led to the victim being offered a “humiliating” £30 refund after the incident.
Smith was jailed in February after being found guilty of sexual assault and trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offense. He managed to obtain the victim’s room number and key card from the receptionist at the Maidenhead branch of Travelodge.
Smith had lied to staff, telling them he was the victim’s boyfriend.
In a letter to Boydell, deputies said they were concerned about front desk staff at the branch giving Smith the key card to his room. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed staff told her she had passed security checks by giving the name of Smith, whom she knew.
Travelodge later offered the woman, who is now in her 30s, a £30 refund. He apologized for the way the proposal was handled, which he said was inappropriate in the circumstances. The hotel chain added that it is reviewing its room security processes.
The letter, signed by Labour’s former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, said MPs and colleagues wanted to discuss how Travelodge made the decision to pay back, what internal review took place after the attack and how it strengthened security procedures.
It says: “Emerging details of how access to the victim’s room was granted raise serious questions about the safety of guests, hotel security procedures and the adequacy of Travelodge’s response.”
The letter from Labor MPs Matt Bishop and Jen Craft said the incident “profoundly raises questions about whether current policies provide adequate protection for guests, particularly women traveling alone.”
It was supported by 26 MPs, all from the Labor Party, except for Jim Shannon from the Democratic Unionist party, who represents Strangford in Northern Ireland. Labor member Jane Ramsey is also a signatory.
He adds: “Hotels have a fundamental duty of care to the people who stay in them. Guests should be able to trust that their privacy and security will be protected when they check into a room, especially when traveling alone.”
Travelodge has been contacted for comment on the letter. He previously told the BBC: “The safety and security of our guests is our priority and we were deeply concerned to hear of this sad incident and offer our condolences to the victim.
“We would like to apologize to the victim for the way this incident was handled.”
