Cruise ship sexual assaults and rapes are the most frequent crimes at sea. For many, this news is shocking since cruise ships try really hard to present cruising vacations as relaxing and carefree. However, there are many contributing factors that make cruise ship sexual assaults prevalent.
Lack of Consistency in Reporting
There is a lack of consistency when reporting cruise ship sexual assaults and rape. Therefore, the public is unaware of the epidemic. Many victims are intimidated out of reporting the crime. Also, not all cruise lines are transparent about it. International laws don’t help. In many cases, the crime takes place outside the United States and could involve a non-U.S. citizen. A cruise ship representative may tell the victim that justice is too difficult to acquire. However, an experienced cruise ship lawyer easily maneuvers around the international red tape.
Outdated Maritime Regulations
In 2010, Congress passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 (CVSSA) to address safety issues on cruise ships, including sexual violence prevention and victim response. However, despite this, many ships are based in other countries and operate with lower safety standards. For example, a ship will only have a few security officers for thousands of passengers. Also, the security officers onboard aren’t real police officers. They are mainly from third-world countries where unemployment is high and wages are low. In fact, crewmembers from these countries typically earn anywhere from three to four times what they could otherwise make in their home countries by working aboard cruise ships. While a cruise ship sails and until returning, these “security” employees are the only ones investigating a crime. These employees do not want to risk losing their jobs, so they will try to minimize the damage to their employer, the cruise line.
Don’t Wait to Get Help After an Injury
If you, your child, or your relative suffered a cruise ship related injury, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Once you disembark, your next step should be to get experienced legal help from a knowledgeable attorney.
At The Michael Brady Lynch Firm, our lawyers have decades of experience helping injured people get justice and full compensation for injuries caused negligence. Given that lawsuits against cruise ships are in a venue favorable to the cruise lines, it is incredibly important to have an experienced attorney with ample resources to prosecute your claim. The Michel Brady Lynch Firm regularly takes on the largest corporations in the world with a track record of proven success and results. Contact The Michael Brady Lynch Firm today, and our attorneys will review your case for free and help you protect your rights. For your complimentary consultation, call our office now.