For a 14-year-old girl on a Carnival cruise last April, it was a holiday from hell. She was raped by a bartender on the cruise, a crime that is now under investigation by the FBI.
According to the young girl, the bartender, 30-year-old for the Hery Krispiyanto dragged her into a room, and then raped her. The girl didn’t tell her parents during the cruise, and only confided in her mother in the month of August. The incident was then reported to the FBI. The agency has launched an investigation into the rape. Carnival says it is cooperating with all investigations.
A crime on a ship is the last thing you’re thinking of when you embark on your dream cruise. However, the fact is that very often robberies, assaults, rapes, and even murders are committed on cruise ships. Unfortunately, these crimes are not as infrequent or rare as passengers hope. Every year, hundreds of passengers fall victims to crimes on cruise vessels. Many victims simply disappear.
Most crimes on cruise ships simply go unreported. Cruise companies are not required to report crimes that occur more than 12 nautical miles offshore. In fact, cruise companies are not required to report crimes to the FBI. This means that when passengers leave on a cruise, they may not only have their safety compromised, but also their rights.
Cruise safety advocates around the country are trying to change the situation, but have a formidable opponent. There is currently a bill that would require cruise ship companies to report crimes to the FBI, but it has faced resistance. The cruise ship industry spent millions of dollars lobbying the government in 2009. There is a bill that would require cruise ship companies to report crimes to the FBI, but it has faced resistance.
The maritime attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. represent victims of cruise ship accidents across the United States and international waters.
