Alleged Standard Hotel Rapist Acquitted

Matthew Moorhouse, seen here with ex-girlfriend Rani Kamahl.

An Australian businessman accused of attempting to rape a maid at the Standard Hotel last year was found not guilty by a jury in Manhattan Supreme Court yesterday. According to the unidentified maid, Matthew Moorhouse, who was formerly involved with Australian pop star Rani Kamahl, had hit on her as she cleaned the room, then threw her on the bed and tried to force himself upon her. She claimed her screams were heard by another hotel worker, who intervened.

But Moorhouse maintained that she made the whole thing up after he caught her trying to steal items out of his luggage. ("I said 'Fucking finish [making] the bed and get out!'" Moorhouse testified.) And his lawyer argued that surveillance video showing the maid's behavior seemed peculiar. She let room service in during the time when the attack would have been in progress, and neither the maid nor Moorhouse had any scratches or bruises after the encounter.

Prosecutors had sought to portray Moorhouse as just the kind of oversexed, entitled perv who stays at The Standard, which has a reputation for encouraging exhibitionism. The Post notes the "hot tub" in the middle of the bar on the hotel's top floor—it's actually a small swimming pool, not a hot tub, but things can get steamy in there [NSFW].

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By John Del Signore in News on July 14, 2010 2:20 PM

Comments [rss]

recharger

Agree. Gothamist readers are notorious for blood-thirsty, guilty-til-proven-innocent vigilantisms.

Rocknrope

It's always fun to look at the original post and read the comments of those who crucified this guy before the actual facts of the case were revealed.

In hindsight, it makes no sense - if you were a rich, Aussie businessman staying in a $400/night hotel, would you really make a play for the maidlady? Have you ever once seen a maidlady you'd hit on?

lexicondevil

And if you were a mega-rich English film star and celebrity, would you really make a play for Divine Brown? Your 'it makes no sense' argument doesn't fly, although you are right about the guilty-until-proven-innocent mentality around here.

Rocknrope

The difference is that Divine Brown is a prostitute, which is what I would expect an Aussie businessman staying in a $400/night hotel to make a play for.