17 Nov 07 CTV W5 show on cruise ships – cruising for trouble – rapes and sexual assault crimes…

An amazing report on the dangers of cruise ships – in particular sexual assaults, rapes, and intimidation.

Often it is done by the crew – there are a lot of crew members on a ship… many hundreds, and once you’re out there in International waters.. well you’re subject only to the laws of the … open water.

Sandie Rinaldo mentions that in 2006 there were 500,000 Canadians who took a cruise. There is one harsh fact about the cruise business that they don’t tell you about.

Cruising for Trouble….

Livebloggin’ it!

For one young attractive teen girl who went on the ship alone… Jamie went back to the room while the ship was in port. After, she went onto an elevator… and a crewmember in the elevator started social engineering her… knowing things about her – her dog’s name! – and then enticed her into visiting the control room (deck).. and see the dolphins. They went into restricted areas and then into a machine room.

Then… Jamie figured out it was getting dangerous.

The crew member blocked the way out and … Jamie said he “ripped her dress off”….

Then he raped her, and left her laying….. with a threat saying that he would kill her family if she said anything.

She kept quiet… for a while… on the ship she only said that a crew member had “scared” her…

It took 3 years … and when she reached 15, she finally told a friend.

….

she’s pretty mature (scarily so) for a 15 year old.

… hmm. So far, the lesson is: be careful and wary on a cruise ship!

Jamie Decker and her mom contacted the FBI… but the FBI couldn’t help out because of the jurisdiction…

So she sued Carnival Cruise Lines. Marilyn Decker finally signed into a scare tactic settlement. The lawyer for Carnival said that they had given the cash settlement specifically because they knew that what she was claiming was… true. Yikes.

Jim Walker is an attorney who specialises in representing sexual assault victims in claims against cruise companies.

50% more likely to be sexually assaulted on a cruise ship.

70% of those attacks are done by a crew member…

W5 got their hands on confidential internal reports commissioned by Royal Carribean Reports on sexual assaults and misconduct on a ship…. acknowledging the problem and even mentioning that crew members will be disciplined, but will not do jail time.

Ouch.

When CTV W5 approached Cruise Line Association leader Terry Dale at a US congressional hearing … to ask how his cruise ship companies would deal with Canadian victims… he basically said, getting into the elevator that “unfortunately he didn’t have time”.

Well.. we’ll keep that in mind, Mr. Dale.

The bottom line: be very careful on cruise ships, especially if you’re a single lady. I wouldn’t be worried about not going on cruises, just to be aware that there are bad apples everywhere. The jurisdictional difference makes it trickier to get justice done on the high seas.

I wonder if Interpol has something to say / do with crimes on the high seas ? Perhaps they’re too busy with International terrorists, drug and arms dealers, etc….

So, will all this stop me from checking out cruisedirect.com
every couple of days to see about a cool vacation this winter? Absolutely not!