Sexual Assault Onboard Cruise Ship Lawsuits – Rape on the High Seas

Every year more than 14,000,000 individuals board cruise ships across the globe. The vast majority of these passengers are able to experience vacations free of harm. However in some instances passengers suffer harm due to horrendous acts of sexual assault. Acts of sexual assault including rape, harassments and molestation frequently take place onboard cruise ship and sea fearing vessels. In fact sexual assault are the most reported types of crimes to be reported  on board cruise ships. Such incidences often result in devastating hardship for individual victims who have to endure long term or permanent emotional trauma, depression, anxiety and PTSD. Liability against cruise ship operators can be established if and when their negligent or wrongful acts can be established as contributing factors in a passengers physical or emotional harm. About Our Law Firm: Out attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals who have suffered from sexual assault and other sexual crimes while onboard cruise ship. Our goal is to see to it that justices is serves and all liable and at fault parties are held accountable for their mistakes. Statistics of Cruise Ship Sexual Assaults: Passengers onboard cruise ships are at an increased risk of becoming a victim of sexual assault. According to a recently published study, “the risk of sexual assault on a cruise ship is almost twice that of forcible rape in the United States.”  Sexual assaults can be perpetrated by other passengers as well as crew members of the cruise ship. Possible underlying risk factors associated with acts of sexual assault on cruise ships are as follows..

• Onboard culture of the staff and crew as well as management style.
• Failure to provide for adequate security onboard the ship.
• Failure to provide for lighting – resulting in dark corners onboard the ship where acts of sexual assault can take place.
• Crew members who have a maximum level of contact with passengers and have has a history of sexual violence against women.
• Specific positions of crew members who have the highest probability of committing acts of sexual assault include, (1) Room stewards, (2) waiters and other bar workers, (3) Officers on board the vessel, (4) Musicians and entertainers, (5) An Security officers.
• Specific acts of sexual abuse include: Rape, molestation, statutory rape, sexual assault of a minor, use of child pornography, and sexual harassment.

New Laws To Prevent The Incidence of Sexual Violence on Cruise Ships: New federal legislations has been put in place with the expressed purposes of reducing and preventing the incidence of sexual violence on board cruise ships. Some important tenants of the new legislation are as follows..

• This ship must maintain on the vessel equipment and materials for performing a medical examination in sexual assault cases to evaluate the patient for trauma, provide medical care, and  preserve relevant medical evidence.
• treat any information derived from, or obtained in  connection with, post-assault counseling or other supportive services confidential.
• The ship must maintain a logbook of all crew members and an approximation of their location and job requirements. An make such logbook available to the FBI upon request.

Compensation Available for Victims of Sexual Assaults On Cruise Ships and Passenger Ocean Liners: Victims of injury and sexual assault caused by the negligent or wrongful acts of others are entitled to financial restitution for all damages they have suffered. Some of the types of damages recoverable include, medical and hospitalization costs, pain and suffering, emotional trauma including PTSD and post sexual violence depression, all future rehabilitation expenses, loss of wages and future income and punitive damages.

– Assault and Battery Statistics

Contacting an Attorney – Confidential Case Evaluation Available: All our attorneys offer victims of serious injuries and acts of sexual violence with completely confidential case evaluations regarding their claim free of charge. More Information: Federal Legislation Sexual Assault on Cruise Ships