Scarinci Hollenbeck Helps Son of Former FARC Hostage Secure $36 Million Judgement Under Antiterrorism Act
Scarinci Hollenbeck successfully secured a $36 million judgement on behalf of Lawrence Delloye, the son of Ingrid Betancourt, a hostage held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for more than six years. The suit alleged FARC and several of its members violated the Antiterrorism Act (ATA) when they kidnapped and tortured Betancourt, causing Delloye to suffer significant emotional distress.
Delloye was represented by Robert E. Levy, Chair of Scarinci Hollenbeck’s Litigation Group. “While no sum of money can replace the time Lawrence Delloye lost with his mother or heal the trauma suffered at the hands of the FARC, we are proud to have helped achieve some measure of justice,” Levy stated.
Background of the Case
FARC kidnapped Ingrid Betancourt in 2002, while she was campaigning to be president of Columbia. During Betancourt’s six-year captivity which began when Delloye was 13, FARC released several hostage videos showing that Betancourt was alive, although in poor mental and physical health. At other times there was no communication and Delloye did not know whether his mother was alive. These videos and uncertainties caused Delloye immense emotional distress.
In 2018, Delloye filed a lawsuit against FARC and several of its members alleging violations of the ATA, which enables victims of terrorism to seek damages in U.S. federal courts. On January 4, 2022, Chief U.S. District Court, for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Judge Matthew W. Brann entered judgment, concluding that Delloye had successfully stated a claim under the ATA.
Judge Brann also ruled Delloye was entitled to compensatory damages of $12 million, which is trebled under the ATA, along with attorneys’ fees and costs resulting in a total judgment in excess of $36 million. The case is Delloye v. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia et al.
About Scarinci Hollenbeck’s NJ Litigation Practice
Scarinci Hollenbeck’s NJ litigation practice is comprised of highly qualified and experienced attorneys, including those Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as Civil and Criminal trial attorneys, representing clients in varied types of general, commercial, employment and criminal litigation.
