The number of rapes and sexual assaults reported on cruises hit a new high in 2023, according to statistics compiled by the FBI.
There were 131 incidents reported in 2023 compared to 87 in 2022 and 101 in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed the industry for about two years.
But the actual number of incidents may be higher, experts warn. Nationally, two out of three sexual assaults go unreported, according to the National Rape, Abuse & Incarceration Network, and the Cruise Ship Safety and Security Act of 2010 does not protect non-US citizens.
Earlier this month, MSC Cruises was sued over two alleged sex crimes on separate ships. One lawsuit alleges a crew member raped a passenger, and another accuses the cruise line of failing to protect an underage girl from being molested in a bathroom.
MSC Cruises said in an emailed statement that the company “cannot comment on this ongoing legal case.
“However, we take seriously any alleged attack on our ship.
The number of rapes and sexual assaults reported on cruises hit a new high in 2023, the FBI said. Corbis via Getty Images
“We report any allegations to the appropriate law enforcement authorities, and we fully assist any investigation and ensure appropriate action is taken.”
Jack Hickey, a Florida-based maritime attorney who filed both lawsuits, told Fox News Digital cruise companies generally do everything they can to hide crimes, especially sex crimes.
“Cruise lines care about their image. It should be a vacation. It should be a positive experience,” Hickey said. “They want as little as possible about sexual assault to be disclosed.”
The Cruise Ship Safety and Security Act requires the Department of Transportation to publish reported crime statistics on its website.
Sex crimes far outnumbered other reported crimes, including 22 assaults with “serious bodily harm”, two suspicious deaths and 20 thefts of $10,000 or more in 2023.
Earlier this month, MSC Cruises was sued over two alleged sex crimes on separate ships.
Since 2010, there have been about 500 reported sexual assaults and rapes, according to statistics reviewed by Fox News Digital.
That number is only a fraction of the actual number, Hickey said.
The Cruise Ship Safety and Security Act does not require cruise lines to report crimes against non-US citizens, and there is a narrow definition of rape used by cruise line management companies to “significantly” understate incidents to the FBI, which was not immediately available. for more information on crime statistics.
And there is no outside agency to verify what the cruise lines say.
“It’s like the fox guarding the chicken coop,” Hickey said.
There is no outside agency to confirm what the cruise line says about the report. AFP via Getty Images
Adding to the trauma for the survivors trapped on the boat with the attackers
Rape on cruises traumatizes survivors because they are stuck on board with their attackers until the next port of call, Hickey said.
Still, survivors need to have the resources and means to get off the ship and fly home, he said, and they don’t know where their assailant is, especially if the assailant is a worker.
“You feel like you’re in jail,” said Hickey, who filed two lawsuits in Florida court in January against MSC Cruises.
Rape on a cruise can add trauma to the victim, says a lawyer. AFP via Getty Images
A passenger on the MSC Meraviglia was allegedly raped by crew members on March 5, 2023.
The survivor was “forcefully grabbed by the arms,” and the alleged attacker “licked her face” and “aggressively threw (Jane Doe) onto the bed” as she screamed, the lawsuit alleges.
She fled after a “physical struggle,” and the crew allegedly chased her into the hallway, pushed her against a wall and “threatened that he would come back and find (Jane Doe) if she reported him.”
Another lawsuit accuses the cruise line of failing to protect a 6-year-old girl while she was in the “mini club,” an area reserved for children up to age 17.
A man of “undetermined age,” who was also in the custody of the “mini club” staff, allegedly followed the little girl into the bathroom and groped her, according to the lawsuit.
“Negligent and careless employees allowed this male passenger to enter the bathroom multiple times while AK was alone and exposed,” the lawsuit said.
He allegedly grabbed her private area and left the bathroom, joining a group of laughing boys, according to the lawsuit.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
