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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Sales Rep Says Client Raped Her

SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) - A sales rep says a major client brutally raped her in her office, then threw a $100 bill at her and told her to "'buy some pills' to terminate any pregnancy resulting from his ejaculating inside her."

Jane Doe sued Atallah Abdallah aka "Alibaba," and his businesses, Dogwoods Market Place and Vine Ripe Farmers Market, in Orange County Court.

Doe says she had a strictly professional relationship with Abdallah, a 45-year-old produce market owner, to whom she had sold "hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of food products for his markets in Southern California."

She says Abdallah attacked and raped her in July 2010, after they both attended a business meeting "regarding his plan to purchase a new grocery and produce market."

The complaint states: "At approximately 5:00 p.m., on or about July 14, 2010, plaintiff and defendant Abdallah returned to plaintiff's office in Costa Mesa, California. Plaintiff stopped in the front reception room to check the mail. Defendant proceeded to the conference room and secretly disrobed. Plaintiff could not see defendant until she entered the conference room.

"Plaintiff entered the conference room, and defendant Abdallah immediately attacked her. Plaintiff saw defendant standing naked with an erection and saw a knife on the conference room table. Plaintiff was paralyzed with shock. Defendant grabbed plaintiff with force and pushed her onto the conference room table on her back. Plaintiff began pleading for defendant to stop, and began hysterically crying. Plaintiff did not consent to any of this.

"Defendant Abdallah covered plaintiff's mouth with his hand to prevent her from further yelling out.

"Plaintiff did not consent to any of the acts taken by defendant Abdallah, as described herein.

"Defendant Abdallah kept one hand pushed down on plaintiff's mouth, and with his other hand, defendant forcibly spread plaintiff's legs, shoved her dress up towards her hips and ripped plaintiff's panties away. Defendant violently shoved his erect penis inside of her vagina and proceeded to rape her. Plaintiff did not consent to the rape.

"Although plaintiff attempted to cry out during defendant's assault, he prevented her from doing so by pushing his hand on her mouth.

"Defendant repeatedly raped plaintiff, disregarding her tears and efforts to protest his actions and plead with him to stop. Defendant ultimately ejaculated inside of her.

"Plaintiff did not consent to any of this.

"After he completed his sexual assault, defendant threw a $100 bill at plaintiff and told her to 'buy some pills' to terminate any pregnancy resulting from his ejaculating inside her."

Doe says Abdallah showed her the knife and threatened to hurt her and her children if she told anyone about the rape.

Doe says she filed a police report accusing Abdallah of rape. A month later, she obtained a restraining order against Abdallah, according to the complaint.

Doe says the judge "found that the order was based on a credible threat of violence by defendant."

She says she "had an inability to easily terminate the relationship [with Abdallah] because plaintiff sold defendant hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of food products for his markets in Southern California, but defendant still owed payment for products, and plaintiff and defendant both knew that plaintiff's continued economic viability rested solely on defendant's discretion."

Doe seeks compensatory and punitive damages for sexual battery, false imprisonment, assault, sexual harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

She is represented by David Drexler of Sherman Oaks.

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