A U.S. woman filed a criminal complaint against a man who she says raped her last Sunday on a beach in Costa Rica's Caribbean beach town of Puerto Viejo.
On Tuesday, the Judicial Investigation Police told The Tico Times that the U.S. tourist had not returned to La Fortuna to identify the four suspects, and without further evidence, police released the suspects later that day.
A spokeswoman for the Judicial Investigation Police confirmed to The Tico Times that security cameras and witnesses identified four suspects who were at a La Fortuna bar, El Establo, the last place where the victim was seen before the alleged rape took place early Sunday morning.
A 19-year-old woman from the U.S. state of Wisconsin was allegedly raped by seven men in La Fortuna de San Carlos, in the Northern Zone of the country, according to Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ).
Area hotel owners and guides say a lack of resources for law enforcement and insufficient response from the Costa Rican Tourism Board could damage the scenic Caribbean destination's reputation with visitors.
