A cruise should be a relaxing experience, an opportunity to be temporarily away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. It is the time where you can just momentarily forget about work or anything that is making you stressed. It is a chance to meet new people, discover new places and invest in immersive experiences. Nonetheless, as unfortunate as it may seem, there are several instances wherein you will find yourself in a situation where you will wish you did not go on a cruise. One of the examples of such would be in the case of crew member sexual assaults. Your cruise holiday can instantly turn into a nightmare because of an indecent act from a crew.
An Alarming Rise in Crew Member Sexual Assaults
It is impossible to have the accurate statistics about the number of crew member sexual assaults that have been reported. This is basically because cruise ships are not obliged to publicize the allegations, especially if they remain mere allegations. Many passengers, once they land, opt to just ignore the idea of filing cases for crew member sexual assaults because this is going to drag them in a controversy, and the process can be lengthy. Generally speaking, however, as it has been previously reported by CNN, sexual assault is the most common crime that is committed by crew members in cruise ships.
In July of 2015, a woman on-board Celebrity Millennium has been harassed by a 40-year old crew member. The victim reported that she was on her way back to her room from the bar when a man suddenly grabbed and started groping her. More so, a 15-year old female passenger of Costa Diaedema has been also allegedly molested by a crew member. These are just some of the cases of crew member sexual assaults that have recently made it in the headlines. Many have been left unreported.
Seek for Legal HelpFor people who have suffered from crew member sexual assaults, it is important to speak up and seek help. A victim’s silence would be injustice to many others, especially because it means that the same crime can be committed repeatedly as the perpetrator is not made liable of his heinous acts. To be sure that justice will be served, it is important to work with competent lawyers who can defend your case. When you are fighting with the bigwigs, such as a huge cruise liner, many people would instantly feel discouraged and feel like they are just wasting their time. Nonetheless, as long as you opt to work with skilled and knowledgeable lawyers, you will find it easier to find the legal remedy for crew member sexual assaults.