Additional Coverage:
- Woman who accused luxury real estate broker Oren Alexander and his twin brother of rape dies (nbcnews.com)
Australian Woman Suing Alexander Brothers for Sexual Assault Dies as Federal Trial Looms
An Australian woman who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against luxury real estate brokers Oren and Alon Alexander has passed away. Her death, which prompted several other women to come forward with similar claims against the brothers, was reported to the coroner late last year.
Kate Whiteman’s death was confirmed by the Coroner’s Court of New South Wales, which stated the death was non-suspicious and the investigation has concluded. “The investigation is concluded and the file is now closed,” an emailed statement read.
Out of respect for her family, the court will not release further details. Her attorney has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Whiteman’s passing occurred shortly before the Alexander twins, Oren and Alon, and their older brother Tal Alexander, are scheduled to face trial in a federal sex trafficking case.
Filed in March 2024 in the New York State Supreme Court, Whiteman’s complaint accused Oren and Alon Alexander of sexual assault, battery, false imprisonment, and emotional distress.
Oren Alexander, 37, and Tal Alexander, 38, were prominent figures in the luxury real estate market in New York City and Miami. Alon Alexander held an executive position at a private security firm owned and operated by the family.
According to the complaint, Whiteman first met the twins in New York City in 2008. She alleged that Oren Alexander would “constantly text” her to meet, which she consistently declined. The complaint further claimed that Alon would sometimes “pretend to be his twin brother Oren, trying to help his brother and call or text plaintiff on Oren’s behalf.”
The complaint details an incident in May 2012 where Alon Alexander allegedly “forcefully grabbed” Whiteman’s hand as she was leaving a New York City nightclub, compelling her into a black SUV where Oren was waiting. They then reportedly drove her to Sir Ivan’s Castle in the Hamptons, known for hosting parties, and led her into a garage.
Whiteman attempted to flee but was stopped by a security guard. The complaint alleges that the brothers forced her to strip, change into a sarong, and locked her phone away before taking her to a bedroom where she was “sexually assaulted, abused, raped, pinned, groped, harassed, battered, and fondled by defendants Alon and Oren.”
In a November 3 court filing, the brothers denied Whiteman’s allegations.
Earlier this week, the twins entered a not guilty plea to a new charge in their federal sex trafficking case. Oren and Alon Alexander were indicted on a charge of sexual abuse by physical incapacitation, as per a superseding indictment filed Monday. This new charge stems from a January 2012 incident involving an unnamed woman allegedly assaulted on a cruise ship.
In addition to this new charge, the twins and Tal Alexander face 11 counts of conspiring over a decade to drug, sexually assault, and rape dozens of women across Miami, New York, and the Hamptons. Prosecutors allege the brothers, along with others, repeatedly and violently drugged, assaulted, and raped women, sometimes arranging these assaults in advance with promises of luxury experiences, travel, and accommodations. The indictment claims women were at times raped and assaulted by multiple men, including one or more of the Alexander brothers.
The brothers have pleaded not guilty to all other counts. Their attorney has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Their parents, Shlomi and Orly Alexander, previously issued a statement defending their sons, saying they “believe our sons are innocent.” They added, “Our family has been living with this ordeal since allegations first appeared in civil lawsuits and were widely publicized long before any criminal charges were filed, and the toll has been deeply painful.”
All three brothers are currently in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City.