On January 16, 1998, thirteen American students were attacked and robbed at gunpoint while on a school-sponsored trip to Guatemala; five of the participants were raped.
[1] The case led to attention from the highest levels of the American and Guatemalan governments, including then-US president Bill Clinton, and added to growing concerns about whether the safety of students was adequately protected while studying abroad.
The accused men were Cosby Urias, a 37-year-old laborer; Rony Polanco, a 25-year-old driver; and Reyes Guch Ventura, a 25-year-old peddler.
[11] Three of the students sued the college and the professors who planned and led the trip, alleging that they were negligent and failed to take reasonable steps to inform them and protect them despite published warnings from the U.S. State Department about other recent, similar attacks.
[11] One of the plaintiffs said she filed the lawsuit to raise awareness of the need for colleges to understand risks and make better decisions.
[5] The lawsuit was eventually settled, with one plaintiff receiving $100,000 (the maximum amount allowed by law due to the college being a state-operated institution); another $65,000; and the third $30,000.