Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Leesfield & Partners has filed a lawsuit against the Radisson hotel, related corporate entities associated with the property, and the assailant involved in the horrific sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl.
This horrifying nightmare has forever altered the life of our young client, causing hypervigilance and anxiety that no child should have to endure. Leesfield & Partners is committed to pursuing justice on behalf of our client and holding all responsible parties accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
This case is being handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Evan Robinson.
“At just 11 years old, her sense of safety, security, and trust in the world have been shattered,” Mr. Shapiro said when filing the lawsuit.
Accountability is at the forefront of this case to protect vulnerable children, Mr. Robinson said.
“A hotel cannot invite families onto its property, profit from their trust, and then ignore basic safety measures that would protect children from harm,” he said.
What Happened?
On Oct. 27, 2025, our client was on vacation with her family, visiting from Sweden. This trip marked the first time that she and her older siblings would be visiting South Florida. As any child would, our client was enjoying a swim in the Radisson hotel’s pool when a man, later identified at 68-year-old Osvaldo Diaz, grabbed her. He groped her genital and buttock area, restraining her as she tried to swim away.
She escaped and immediately told her family what had happened to her, pointing out the assailant to them. When he realized what she was doing, Diaz ran through a gap in the hedges to escape and entered the property of a neighboring hotel.
He was later found and charged with one count of lewd and lascivious battery on a child and two counts or burglary with assault or battery. The criminal proceedings are ongoing.
Since then, our client has continued to suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Her father told reporters in a recent media interview that she has become fearful of things that would not have scared her before.
Due to the hotel’s complete failure to implement even the most basic security measures that would have prevented Diaz from entering the property and gaining access to our client, she will endure the consequences of this incident for the rest of her life.
“We have no indication that they had visible presence of security anywhere on that hotel’s grounds,” Mr. Shapiro said. “Which is, I say, grossly inadequate because that is highly unusual in Miami Beach. Even hotels with subpar security have some showing of security around the premises.”
Leesfield & Partners: Protecting the Vulnerable
For 51 years, Leesfield & Partners has secured record settlements and verdicts throughout Florida, some of which have involved cases of sexual assault and negligent security. Our skilled trial attorneys have been privileged to represent the victims and survivors of sexual assault and other violent crimes, working diligently to secure the best possible outcome in every case.
In that time, our attorneys have learned of the long-lasting impacts that sexual abuse has on victims and survivors. Leesfield & Partners attorneys work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for our client’s injuries are held accountable, securing the means to pay for medical costs and future damages, and highlighting important safety issues with the aim of preventing similar incidents from happening in the future.
Mr. Shapiro is representing a woman who was left traumatized after a worker at a luxury Florida hotel leered at her while she was in her hotel room’s private shower.
Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Attorney at the firm, is representing a woman who was left traumatized after it was discovered that an employee with the cruise ship she was traveling on had planted hidden cameras in her room and the room of other passengers. Many of the victims who were filmed without their knowledge included children.
This employee was sentenced to 30 years in prison for creating child sex abuse material.
That case is ongoing.
Previous Cases
Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Robinson recently obtained a confidential settlement on behalf of a minor who was assaulted at an athletic training facility.
Mr. Leesfield and Trial Attorney Carlos A. Fabano obtained a confidential settlement on behalf four clients who were sexually abused as children by the same church official while they attended parochial schools.
Mr. Shapiro secured a $16 million settlement for a couple who were brutally attacked while staying as guests at a hotel. The assailant in that case viciously beat both victims. He also raped and sexually assaulted the wife.
Despite the hotel’s known history of violent incidents, management had disregarded repeated recommendations from both law enforcement and a private security firm to employ armed security personnel.
On the day of the incident, the attacker gained unrestricted access to the hotel due to the absence of basic safety measures, such as functioning locks or keycard-secured elevators. He went up to the couple’s floor, where he launched a violent assault—first attacking the husband, then brutally beating and raping the wife. Disturbingly, hotel staff and on-site security witnessed parts of the attack but failed to intervene.
Previously, the firm secured $8.6 million for a camper at a well-known Florida summer camp. A camp counselor in that case was later found to have been sexually abusing our minor client. The camp ignored clear warning signs, to the detriment of the child they were entrusted to protect.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys previously secured a confidential settlement for a child who was flying as an unaccompanied minor on an airline and meant to be under the care of flight officials. During the flight, the child was sexually abused by another passenger.
In a case involving multiple students who were sexually abused by a teacher at a prestigious Florida high school, the victims and survivors were paid multi-million-dollar reparations thanks to the work of Leesfield & Partners.
The firm represented a Canadian cruise ship passenger who was attacked and raped in her private cabin by a crew member. This crew member used his employee keycard to enter the woman’s room. A multi-million-dollar recover was obtained for the woman in that case.
A store clerk was awarded $1.13 million in a negligent security case at a shopping mall following an incident in which the clerk was robbed and brutally raped.
A hotel maid was raped while on the job by a man who was not a guest who roamed the property without being questioned. Leesfield & Partners secured a $1 million settlement for the woman.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, you are not alone. Help can be found by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
