Cruise Ship Sexual Assault

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A sexual assault on a cruise ship is both a traumatic event and a potential criminal and civil matter. The first priorities are personal safety, medical care, preservation of evidence, and contacting appropriate law enforcement and support resources.

Federal law imposes specific safety, medical, confidentiality, surveillance, and crime-reporting requirements on covered cruise vessels. Depending on the circumstances, the ship should have trained medical personnel and supplies for responding to sexual assault, and certain serious incidents must be reported to federal law-enforcement authorities.

If possible, preserve clothing and other potential evidence, identify the location and approximate time of the assault, and request that relevant surveillance footage be preserved. The federal cruise-safety statute includes requirements concerning retention of surveillance footage and access to certain recordings in connection with sexual-assault incidents.

Civil responsibility depends on the facts. Potential issues may include the conduct of a crew member or passenger, security practices, access to passenger staterooms, prior incidents, alcohol service, hiring and supervision, and the cruise line's response after notice of a risk.

A survivor does not need to make every legal decision immediately. Medical and emotional support come first. Because evidence and contractual deadlines can become important quickly, legal counsel can help preserve rights while allowing the survivor to control the pace of the civil process.