A mother from Maryland has reported a harrowing tale of being assaulted, drugged, and then kidnapped while vacationing in Tunisia, North Africa, before bravely escaping from her captor.
Jameka Ivy, 31, embarked on a week-long journey to Tunisia with her close friend, Queen, where they stayed at the luxurious Penthouse Suites Hotel. Ivy alleges that she was attacked by an unknown assailant on September 20.
The two friends had just returned to their hotel after a night of dancing when Ivy ventured into the lobby in search of tissues and unexpectedly encountered a stranger, as she recounted to Fox 5 DC.
“I woke up in a situation I never expected, and I’m still trying to process the trauma and piece together the events,” Ivy shared on her GoFundMe page.
Ivy stated her memories of the lobby incident are vague, asserting she was both “drugged and kidnapped.”
“I can’t even describe what happened to me,” Ivy said. “What I do know is that I was fighting for my life against a grown man.”
“The next thing I remember is waking up in the back of a vehicle, and I panicked and began opening doors,” she recounted.
Ivy described how the unidentified male driver restrained her, then covered her mouth and struck her in an attempt to silence her cries for help.
“He was punching me in the face and on my forehead, hitting both of my eyes,” Ivy said. “All I could think about was getting home to my kids.”
Unfortunately, Queen remained at the hotel and desperately sought assistance for her friend, but found no helpful response from staff.
Hotel employees claimed Ivy had simply “made a friend” and left the premises, leaving Queen bewildered by the lack of support amidst the language barrier.
“I kept saying, ‘How could she make a friend? She can’t even communicate!’” Queen expressed to Fox 5 DC, frustrated by the indifference she encountered.
“I have videos showing the staff walking away while saying, ‘This didn’t happen here. We don’t know what you mean.’”
Miraculously, Ivy managed to escape her captor and return to the hotel.
She sustained facial injuries, including scratches and two black eyes, as a result of the assault.
In addition to facial injuries, Ivy also left Tunisia with bruises and scratches on her legs, as shown in the photographs she posted on GoFundMe.
“I am still processing the trauma and working to grasp the facts surrounding what transpired,” she wrote on her fundraising page, which seeks to raise $5,000 for therapy, legal fees, and travel expenses related to potential litigation.
“No one should have to endure this alone. Your assistance will enable me to access the legal and mental health resources I need for recovery and to ensure accountability,” she added.
Ivy reported the incident to the U.S. Embassy in Tunis and has met with officials from the State Department and local law enforcement regarding the alleged assault.
“Since that night, I’ve been doing everything in my power to stay safe and navigate the long path toward recovery. I’ve reported the attack to local authorities and am pursuing legal action, but I require financial assistance to cover the costs involved in that process as well as to facilitate my healing,” Ivy conveyed.
