Cruise Ship Passenger Pleads Not Guilty of Strangling His Ex-Wife & Throwing Her Overboard
In a disturbing case we have covered over the years, U.S. lawyer, Lonnie Loren Kocontes, entered a plea today of not guilty in the strangulation death of his ex-wife, Micki Kaneski, during a cruise off of the Italian coast seven years ago.
This case seems to stand in stark contrast to the cruise industry's claim that murders don't occur on cruise ships.
Kocontes met Kanesaki in the 1990s at a Los Angeles law firm where he worked as an attorney and she worked as an administrative assistant. They later married in 1995.
Kocontes was fired from his job after he was arrested in 2000 for charges of sexual contact with a minor that were later dismissed. In 2001, they divorced to protect their assets from civil litigation. They continued to live together, but their relationship deteriorated.
In May 2006, the couple vacationed in Italy and sailed aboard the Island Escape cruise ship. On May 26, 2006, the cruise ship was sailing between Sicily and Naples, when Kanesaki went overboard. Her body washed ashore the next day in Calabria in southwest Italy. An autopsy was performed. An Italian medical doctor concluded that she had been strangled before she went overboard.
Kocontes claims that Kanesaki left the cabin around 1 a.m. to get a cup of tea. Kocontes reported her missing after he woke up and claims he couldn’t find her. Italian police boarded the ship, seized records and videotapes and took statements from the crew.
Prosecutors say that Kocontes strangled Kaneski to death on board the ship and then threw her overboard.
Kocontes later began transferring more than $1 million from Kaneski’s bank accounts into joint accounts he held with his new wife. That prompted the FBI to begin seizure efforts which were dismissed by a federal judge in California.
The Orange County Register covered the story back in 2006, and quoted Kanesaki’s mother saying that her daughter was in good spirits before the cruise. ‘‘I can’t imagine what happened to her. There’s no reason to believe it was a suicide.’’
A newspaper in Italy published an article "The Perfect Murder."
The case reminds me of the murder of Karen Roston by her husband Mark Roston aboard Admiral Cruises' Sundancer some 20 years.
Over three years ago, a U.S. cruise passenger, Nina Elizabeth Nilssen, age 30, was murdered while vacationing in Antigua near the English Harbour / Falmouth area. She had been cruising with her parents, an uncle and aunt, sister and brother-in-law aboard the Royal Clipper, a tall masted ship operated by Miami based Star Clippers. 
The Broward County Sheriffs Office has posted a mug shot of a 27 year old Celebrity Cruises crew member arrested over the weekend on two counts of charges of grand theft (over $300 and less than $5,000).
damage. 
Yesterday it was announced at the marketing debut of Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, that one of the ports of the new cruise ship would be Nassau in the Bahamas when it was launched in 2014. My first reaction was that Nassau was a dangerous location to host the new Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
Celebrity states that "none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate event," but Cruise Critic states that passengers reported that "one woman fell and broke her leg.".jpg)
which is obviously untrue if a major Miami based cruise line like NCL pulled out in 2010. 
Last night I received an email from a person who follows cruising who received information that there may have been what is being described as a "murder / suicide" on an unidentified Royal Caribbean cruise ship. There was a vague posting of the alleged incident on the .jpg)
If you have any information about this alleged incident, please leave a message or 
Antigua has had its share of violence and crime in areas frequented by cruise passengers. Last month an altercation between a store owner and cruise passengers escalated into a .jpg)
Lonnie Kocontes, age 55, was arrested last week on a murder warrant in the death of his ex-wife, Micki Kanesaki, who went overboard from an Italian cruise ship seven years ago.
Prosecutors say that Kocontes strangled Kaneski to death on board the ship and then threw her overboard..jpg)
Just when you think that things could not get any worse for Carnival, news is just breaking that authorities are investigating what is being characterized as a "sex attack" on a Carnival cruise ship. 
This is the last thing Mexico's tourism industry needs. 
One of the topics I harp on here at Cruise Law News is the danger of having a sexual predator sailing in the next cabin to you while you enjoy a vacation cruise. 
upper level Carnival ship employees, both large men, physically pinned down the wrists of the petite, small framed woman and took turns raping her. One Carnival employee sodomized her. The lawsuit states that the two men humiliated the woman and laughed at her when she resisted and protested. 
Although Royal Caribbean confirmed the incident occurred, the cruise line disembarked the passenger in Antigua rather than detaining him to be arrested by the FBI when the cruise ship returned to port in Fort Lauderdale.
NCL filed a motion arguing that it owed no obligation to warn its guests of the risk of being raped on the high seas. The court rejected the cruise line's argument.
The popular crew member website, Crew Center, posted an interesting article today entitled "
earth a judge in Bermuda could assert jurisdiction over a theft committed by a U.S. citizen on a foreign flagged cruise ship in international waters?
their trade organization, the Cruise Line International Association ("CLIA"), were behind the last minute shenanigans.
were rapes and violent crimes against its passengers in this port but failed to warn them. You can read about this case, which is now on appeal, in our article: .jpg)
Sexual predators often target cruise ships.
The crimes which the FBI chose to disclose? One suspicious crew member death on a Carnival cruise ship, and one sexual assault on a Royal Caribbean ship. You can look at the database 
The bottom line? The FBI and the cruise lines are hiding 95% of the crimes from the public..jpg)
with several other men as disc jockeys (DJ's). 
Cruise lines have an obligation to warn of dangers ashore in the ports of call that they sail to and where there guests are reasonably likely to frequent such as local bars near the cruise ships. .jpg)
hat hundreds of crimes occur each year during cruises). .jpg)
on CNN's Anderson Cooper's AC 360 called "Safe at Sea." CNN interviewed a 15 year old girl who was violently sexually assaulted by an uniformed crew member on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship. The crime involved a scenario we have warned about repeatedly, where a crew member uses a pass key to enter a cabin and rape a child who is alone..jpg)
occurred over the course of the preceding three years - that's 3 rapes every 2 month just on the Royal Caribbean fleet. However, in a subsequent civil case our firm handled against this cruise line, a trial court here in Miami ordered the cruise line to produce its raw crime data to us. The reports revealed that the total number of sex-related crimes were actually around 273 (over 4 times the amount reported to Congress). 
not only to "deny and defend," but to "attack the victim" and anyone who will stand with her. .jpg)
Last night, CNN Anderson Cooper's program AC 360 took a look at the safety of women and children on cruise ships..jpg)
Tonight, the CNN Anderson Cooper AC360 program aired a short documentary into the issue of the safety of children on the high seas, entitled "Safe at Sea.".jpg)
The cruise line, however, paid a settlement to the child. On the CNN program tonight, the child (whose identify was protected for her privacy) stated that she felt the crew member was a predator and had done it before..jpg)
If this were a movie, no one would believe such an outrageous script. .jpg)
cruise safety law came into effect, the FBI was known for its disinterest in investigating crimes on cruise 
ships. For those few crimes it investigated, the FBI solved few of them. It also seemed to never close their files even when in truth it was not doing anything to investigate the crimes. By altering the language of the law, the cruise lines knew that it would keep the actual number of crimes under wraps.
Every once in a while a story comes along which blows the lid off of the status quo..jpg)
cruise lines' pockets. It condones and encourages cruise lines to cover up ship crimes whenever and wherever they can, while the FBI looks the other way..jpg)
eventually respond with their own spin. CLIA will open the prepared, canned statements: "Crime is rare. Our number 1 priority is the safety of our guests. We reports all allegations of crime to the appropriate law enforcement." But the tide has turned. The public knows these types of official statements are gobbledygook. .jpg)
in just the the opposite result - greater secrecy and opportunity for the cruise lines to cover the crimes up..jpg)
One of the purposes of the new Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Law is to educate the public regarding the sexual assaults and other crimes which occur on cruise ships.
You would think that the rape of a child on the world's largest cruise ship would be documented on the online database maintained by the FBI and Coast Guard. That was the intent of the cruise crime law. But the FBI decided not to report it. Take a look 
Crimes against women in ports of call is a topic which I write about on a regular basis on Cruise Law News. Cruise lines have a legal duty to warn about the danger of crimes in the ports of call that they sail to on a regular basis. Cruise lines sell an idyllic image of a care-free tropical vacation, but in reality they know or should know that there are dangers ashore waiting for their passengers..jpg)
Caribbean crewmember from the Allure of the Seas was found murdered.jpg)
The new law, called the "Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act," was designed to force greater transparency from cruise lines regarding just how many women are raped and children molested during cruises. But instead of revealing the true number of crimes which take place, the new law permits cruise lines to cover the crimes up. 
strange, suspicious) that CLIA rolled over at the last minute. Well, now it's clear, the cruise lines were just playing possum..jpg)
The robbery targeted 17 cruise passengers from the Celebrity Mercury cruise ship. They were on a cruise sponsored excursion called the "Caribbean Journey Masters tour bus." While the tour bus was heading towards a historic site, rocks and branches were strewn across the bus' path. The driver exited to investigate, and the robbers threw a rock into the windshield of the bus. Two armed, masked men rushed from the bushes and entered the bus..jpg)
dining room when they began filming each other. Miller explains that the men were recorded laughing about the situation and mocking Mr. Smith. 
The Seattle Times published an article today raising the issue of whether cruising is really safer, and crime reporting more transparent, following the passage of the Cruise Vessel Safety & Security Act which came into effect this year. The article is .jpg)
don't target cruise passengers; violence like this doesn't happen in cruise ports.
New York Magazine
Ah, what fun - an officer partying with the crew below deck documented with a iPhone stolen from a guest.
A publishing company in Connecticut issued a .jpg)
"In late 2011, there have been numerous reports by cruise ship tourists and others regarding incidents of armed robberies of cash and jewelery. These incidents were reported during daylight and nighttime hours. In several cases, the victims were robbed at knife-point, and gold necklaces and jewelery were taken. "Cash for Gold" is a new business in the Bahamas that may have resulted in the increase of these type of crimes."
the bus to investigate, and the robbers threw a rock into the windshield of the bus. Two armed, masked men rushed from the bushes and entered the bus.
by the fishing boat. Princess Cruises later claimed that the captain of the cruise ship was never informed of the people in distress. 
The police had the difficult task of identifying the victims, and then faced the unpleasant task of informing the parents that their children were molested by the youth counselor whom they entrusted with their children's safety during a family cruise. 
Was the device used to lock a passenger in the cabin? This seems very unlikely.
emails with the girl which included explicit images and a video of him masturbating in front of a photo of the child. 
Australia's popular television program 
the Lethe Estate, an old banana plantation. The Carnival passengers were riding in a trolley when several bandits jumped out of the bush and robbed the 17 cruise tourists. cam. The passengers were terrorized as the gunmen pointed guns at the children on the trolley and took off with the passenger's jewelry, wallets, purses, cameras and money. You can read the account in the USA cruise blog .jpg)
Cruise lines and the local tourism boards usually respond to these type of crimes against tourists by claiming that they are rare.
The U.S. House and Senate have scheduled hearings for February 29 and March 1, 2012 to address whether the cruise industry has taken adequate steps to protect cruise passengers and comply with newly enacted laws designed to make cruising safer.
Its a real shame that the goals of the new legislation - greater accountability and transparency of the cruise lines and greater safety of passengers in the process - are being subverted by the cozy relationship between the self-regulating cruise industry and the FBI which has little interest in investigating cruise ship rapes.
A 
African state courts cannot try him for the cruise ship rape because the incident happened in Mozambican waters.
kicked off because we were having too much fun . . . It was awesome." .jpg)
The 
A previous judge who presided over the preliminary hearing, John "Jay" Hurley, expressed concern that Scavone would flee to Brazil if given the opportunity. The Sun-Sentinel quotes the judge saying "People who are from Brazil can go to Brazil, and there's very little chance that they'll be brought back to the United States." The judge called Brazil a "loophole." The judge was referring to the fact that Brazil recently amended its constitution to prohibit the extradition of criminals from Brazil. Judge Hurley ordered that Scavone be fitted with a GPS monitor if he is released from custody while the case is pending.
The alleged assailants are two Brazilian passengers who were sailing aboard Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, which is based on Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida..jpg)
Are there security "sub-stations" in each of the neighborhoods?
"Wild, out-of-control alcohol-fueled domestic fight - starts at 9PM, escalates to most certainly a felony assault (or worse) by 3AM. All kinds of yelling, screaming, howling. Objects (victim?) thrown against the walls. Finally security responds; victim has blood streaming from her, multiple wounds; others report seeing multiple pools of blood in the room. Around 3:45 AM, Carnival removes the 'guests' and immediately starts the process of cleaning the room up, starting with the blood. 
Carnival has two basic types of crew employees: (1) those who qualify for free fights to and from ports (salary employees), and (2) those who must pay for airline flights (non-salary employees). Mr. Sanchez is accused of defrauding Carnival Cruise Lines by using his knowledge and authority to book flights for non-salary crewmembers and charging Carnival's travel account while keeping the money the crewmembers paid for the airline tickets.
A 
Portuguese islands (see map), one of the ship’s stops on the cruise. She reported the rape during the cruise the day before the cruise ship was due to return to Durban. 
the cruise ship's captain (how interesting) that the incident did not occur in South African waters. At a hearing last week, Mr. Bhogal’s lawyer cited a provision in the South African Criminal Procedures Act that if the alleged crime occurs in international waters, the South African state courts have no jurisdiction. 
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dangers on cruise ships which the cruise industry would prefer the public not to know. Due to the ICV's hard work, last year President Obama passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act.
will monitor the violence in Mexico to determine if it would continue to serve the two ports..bmp)
The .jpg)
For other articles about crime in Mexico:.jpg)
The first issue, perhaps, is how can a country like Bermuda which did not bother to send an investigator to the Star Princess to arrest the assailant crewmember after raping a young woman on the Bermuda flagged cruise ship be an appropriate forum for the victim to seek justice?
The article is based on research conduct by cruise line expert Dr. Ross Klein, who has testified before our U.S. Congress on issues of crimes against cruise passengers. Dr. Klein's popular 
There is also a question whether the statistics released by Royal Caribbean are to be trusted.
She reported the incident to her supervisors and was examined and treated in the ship infirmary. Police in the next port of call in Israel interviewed her, and the assailant crew member was eventually terminated and sent home. Like most cruise ship sexual assault allegations, the assailant crew member was not arrested and there was no criminal prosecution..jpg)
After conducting an extensive analysis of the Royal Caribbean / Celebrity fleet, these experts concluded that sexual misconduct occurred "frequently" during cruises. They attributed this problem to the fact that most crew members were not afraid of being arrested, much less convicted. Dr. Krohne reported that the worst thing that could happen to a crew member who committed a crime on a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity cruise ship was to be sent on a one way flight home.
All of the cases fit into a pattern. 
When I was 15 years old and taking my first constitutional law course (yes, my parents sent me to a great prep school), I read for the first time something called the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
"It's Only A Matter of Time Before You All Get Sued"
“It’s unconstitutional, it would be unconstitutional."
pull of of this port which Princess Cruises painted with a broad brush that all-of-Mexico-is-unsafe. 
The media's interest into the "missing groom" story was unparalleled in the history of the cruise industry. Royal Caribbean had been able to dodge bad press about the disappearance of passengers and women and children sexually assaulted on its fleet of cruise ships for decades.
Larry King invited me on his show twice. First in August 2005 before I was hired by Jennifer Hagel to talk about the issues in the case. The second time was in January 2006, together with the Smith family and their counsel, after I was retained, to talk about the details of the case. 
The legislation is patterned after the 2010 Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Law which was signed into law last year by President Obama. The cruise safety law was the result of the efforts of the International Cruise Victims organization. 
The alleged incident occurred in April when the passenger was participating in an NCL organized "pub crawl." 
A Bermudian man punched the passenger in the face, knocking him to the ground and then began to search through the passenger's pockets. The passenger fought back and then fled back to the cruise ship where he reported the incident to security personnel and customs agents. Bermudian police reportedly stated that such attacks have become more frequent in recent years.
In our article .jpg)
Security Department fully supported and assisted Mexican officials in their investigation of this isolated and uncharacteristic crime for Cozumel.".jpg)
The press in Mexico is raising questions about the criminal charges leveled against Nelson Pérez Torres, who is jailed and awaiting trial for the murder of Royal Caribbean crewmember, Monika Markiewicz.
Since 9-11 the Federal government has placed "air marshals" on airplanes. The ICV has attempted to ensure that cruise ships have the same level of security by supporting legislation in California requiring "sea marshals" on all cruise ships entering and departing cruise ports in that state. 
the cruise ships reach port. They remain on the bridge, where they keep watch as the cruise ships sail out of the Port of Los Angeles. They return to port once the vessels reach 3 miles offshore.
Chaparro died on a tour bus when a shootout exploded between the rival gangs at a funeral, peppering the young tourist with bullets. Her family filed suit against Carnival today, alleging they should have known the violence was likely.
The problem with this hypothetical scenario is that it is not hypothetical at all. We have represented passengers who have been raped by bartenders, cabin attendants and even security guards on cruise ships.
Today, a 
California has addressed this problem by introducing a bill that will permit state prosecutors to pursue criminal cases against crew members and passengers who commit crimes against passengers on cruises which begin and end in California. In instances where the FBI or DOJ decline to become involved, the state of California can become involved and a state attorney can prosecute the crime. 
returned to port in Southern California and the Department of Justice declined to prosecute the case despite substantial evidence which should have led to a conviction of the cruise line rapist.
daunting task. When cruise ships reported shipboard crimes, the reports were often late, incomplete and misleading. When passengers complained about the non-reporting or shoddy reporting, the cruise lines' response was to say "hey, we don't to report crimes in the first place."
Yesterday a jury in the U.S. Virgin Islands convicted a 22 year old man in St. Thomas of killing a young Carnival cruise ship passenger last July. 
article, the disturbing circumstances were revealed to the child's parents when the girl broke down in front of her father and showed him the online conversations. .jpg)
Russell went on to request that the girl take a photograph of herself naked and send it to him..jpg)
Last month we reported that the alleged crime occurred on a Princess cruise ship and Filipino crew member Johnwill Reyes Abdon, age 40, was the Princess Cruises crew member who allegedly committed the crime.
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After leaving the bar to head back to the cruise ship, the young woman was viciously attacked and sustained physical injuries. Looking for help, Jane Doe was then sexually assaulted by a second man (pretending to be a good samaritan) who raped her. She treated in a local hospital in Nassau and then eventually flew home to Canada to recover.
"CRIME: The Bahamas has a high crime rate . . . the U.S. Embassy has received reports of assaults, including sexual assaults, in diverse areas such as in casinos, outside hotels, or on cruise ships. In several incidents the victim had reportedly been drugged." 
New Providence Island, according to the Guardian) and the nation's status as a gathering spot for drug traffickers.".jpg)
The cruise industry was caught flat footed. The ICV organization, led by President Ken Carver (below, right), introduced the compelling stories of victims of shipboard crimes and mistreatment by the cruise lines..jpg)
Safety and Security Act into law. The public can thank Ken Carver, Janet Kelly and Jennifer Hagel - among many others - for their dedication and advocacy for creating public awareness of the need for legislation to oversee the foreign flagged cruise industry. .jpg)
honeymooner George Smith, whose mysterious disappearance from a Royal Caribbean cruise in July was initially dismissed by the ship's captain as an accident or suicide, despite signs suggesting foul play. Among the dramatic elements that have emerged in the case: Smith drank absinthe, which may cause hallucinations, a few hours before he vanished in the Mediterranean; a giant bloodstain was found below his balcony; some of his drinking buddies, who deny any wrongdoing, got kicked off the boat a few days later after a female passenger accused them of rape..jpg)
alleged crime scene. In another case, a passenger accused of sexual assault testified that a ship security officer coached him to state that "no sex was performed by anyone." Cruise lines, says maritime lawyer Charles Lipcon, "are silently working against the victim. They're busy trying to make sure criminal cases don't see the light of day.".jpg)
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Nelson Perez Torres, age 24, reportedly confessed to striking Royal Caribbean crew member Monika Markiewicz in the head with a rock and then throwing her into the ocean, according to the chief prosecutor of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo where Cozumel is located..bmp)
They claim that he had never been in trouble before and he had worked at a bar near the cruise pier for the past eight years. They claim that because they are a humble family of little means, their son was railroaded into a confession. Friends and family members picketed at the pier with signs saying Mr. Torres is innocent. 
Ever since then, I have been hyper-sensitive to the vulnerability of women employed on ships sailing around the world. I am apprehensive of the dangers which await young women as they unsuspectingly walk down the gangplanks into the tropical ports of call which seem so appealing but - in truth - are so, so dangerous..jpg)
Polish national Ms. Monika Markiewicz, age 32, was employed by Royal Caribbean as a musician. She disembarked from the Allure on Friday and did not return to the cruise ship. The cruise ship then left Cozumel and sailed back to Miami. 
weeks ago, a 
The article does not mention whether the victim was a cruise passenger or another crew member.
one of our favorite cruise blogs by 
disappearance of cruise passenger Jennifer Ellis-Seitz, age 36. Ms. Ellis-Seitz went overboard from Norwegian Cruise Line's Pearl on Christmas Day in 2008. 
manufacturers and designers of the Splendor's engine system..jpg)
executives pledged to return to the island - "
Line's Eurodam cruise ship can attend lectures and talks on espionage, spies, intelligence, and counterterrorism by speakers who are "intelligence experts, leaders, officers, operatives, analysts, authors and historians, many of whom served in the US Intelligence Community." Well, a "National Security Reporter" for the Toronto Star, Michelle Shephard, sailed on the cruise this week. 
of the Caribbean islands frequented by cruise lines - 
The tour bus is identified as the "
Its been eight years since Dianne Brimble died on the floor of a P & O cruise ship, in the cabin of one of the infamous "gang of eight" who likened Ms. Brimble to a dog with bad breath who they contemplated throwing overboard. .jpg)
This nightmare of a case, ending in no jail sentence for the man who gave Ms. Brimble the date rape drug GHB and killed her (or any of his dirt bag friends), would anger even the most casual observer. But the story seems to get worse and worse.
The police handcuffed her husband took him to the marine department's regional crime unit, in Sai Wan Ho. .jpg)
The new cruise law involves a remarkable story about the bravery of Laurie Dishman. Laurie went on a Royal Caribbean cruise in February 2006 to celebrate her 35th birthday and her long friendship with her childhood friend, Michelle. But instead of a fun cruise, a janitor with prior complaints of sexual harassment who was working as a part time security guard sexually assaulted Laurie in her cabin. .jpg)
Laurie's interview starts at 21:20 and ends at 30:00.
security guards? Or will they continue to try and save money with only 2 or 3 inexperienced "guards" trying to protect 2,000 or 3,000 passengers?"
Maybe you don't think of a floating vacation as a dangerous activity — after all, the last headline-grabbing sinking of a cruise liner was that of the MS Sea Diamond, which ran aground in 2007 near Santorini, Greece; two passengers disappeared and were presumed dead. The cruise industry also contends that it has an outstanding safety record when it comes to onboard crimes such as theft and assaults.
So it was to my great interest and amusement today when a Cruise Law News (CLN) reader sent me a link to an article summarizing the new cruise law by a prominent defense lawyer for the cruise line industry. 
The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act 2010, due to become US law very shortly, imposes substantial requirements on cruise ships carrying over 250 passengers on international voyages which embark or disembark passengers in any US port. They concern design and construction, medical facilities, passenger and crew information, training and measures to report and combat crime..jpg)
passengers with lists of medical and security personnel and law enforcement agencies in the jurisdictions visited.
The newspaper indicates that she was raped by a fellow South African, a fitness instructor, and sent home after reporting the incident. 
cruise line now calls its "Global Security Department." The question is whether Mr. Bald and his new team of ex-FBI agents are genuinely trying to protect the passengers and crew and help build a case against the rapists which have targeted Royal Caribbean passengers and crew members. .jpg)
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A 14 year Carnival cruise passenger was shot and killed today after arriving in St. Thomas aboard the Carnival Victory cruise ship. Lizmarie Perez Chaparro was riding in a "safari bus" with her family when she was caught in the crossfire of a gang shootout.
The week started with the travel site Tnooz picking up our article .jpg)
norovirus on board, following the usual ill-fated last minute "additional sanitizing."
This is one of the classic problems with the cruise lines. They are terrified of bad press so they sweep the bad news under the rug. But when the truth comes out, they look like they are hiding the ball. The new cruise law will address this issue. Cruise lines will be required to report crimes at sea and also provide a link on their web sites to the crime data. .jpg)
The newspaper reports that the drug war in Mexico has caused nearly 30,000 deaths since 2007. Passengers on cruises to the "Mexican Riviera" have dwindled by 21 percent.
We have written .jpg)
The ABC affiliate accurately concludes that cruise lines are not required to report crimes on cruise ships in international waters. The consequences of having no legal obligation to report a crime means that there is no consequence when the cruise line does not report the crime - such as in the case of Merrian Carver. .jpg)
father .jpg)
claimed that the story misled the public because U.S. law allegedly "requires cruise lines to report allegations of crime involving U.S. citizens no matter where the ship is in the world." This is not true. CLIA has no credibility and earned a reputation for bogus statements like this long ago. Take a moment and read "
Nearly two years after the robbery, Ms. Winograd filed suit in New Jersey seeking damages for physical and emotional injuries. 
passenger Mark Wilhelm who had given her the 
accusing the press of adding to a circus like environment filled with what the judge called "prejudice" and "hysteria.'' The judge went even further - saying that "little regard had been paid to defendant Wilhelm's rights by the publication of a series of photographs depicting his 'unsavory' behavior on the night Ms Brimble died," as reported by Australia's 
Place to Commit A Crime, And Get Away With It! and 
facts to light?.bmp)
I have released tidbits of these stories as blog articles here on Cruise Law News ("CLN") to see if there is an interest..jpg)
records, or takes away their wheelchair or crutches at the gangway and tells them to hobble down to the terminal. Inevitably, once the injured passenger leaves the cruise ship, no one from the cruise line calls them to see how their ankle or hip surgery turned out. And if they do, the best you can expect for even the most serious case is an offer of a discount on a future cruise..jpg)
reputation. Everyone on the cruise ship begins to work against the victim, to look for ways to make certain that the victim's case never sees the light of day. .jpg)
employee to the victim? Would you work with your employee's criminal defense lawyers, and meet the assailant in jail, in an effort to help him win an acquittal at the criminal trial? 
years were prosecuted. Why were 93% of the cases dropped?" TIME reported on the FBI's explanation, as follows:.jpg)
The "mystery" of Mr. Faliva soon resembled the typical case of corporate malfeasance which has characterized the cruise industry. According to the Faliva family, Princess Cruises refuses to cooperate. 
Kay Krohne warned about over a decade ago. It is a rotten and disgraceful practice. Sexual predators are emboldened by the cruise line's malfeasance. They will strike again. 
far the worst problem with sexual predators of any line we have ever seen. Children have been targeted by sexual predators in child centers and raped after leaving the centers and trying to get back to the cabins. .jpg)
It's about time.
"CRIME: The Bahamas has a high crime rate . . . the U.S. Embassy has received reports of assaults, including sexual assaults, in diverse areas such as in casinos, outside hotels, or on cruise ships. In several incidents the victim had reportedly been drugged." 
newspaper reported . . .
The passengers were not identified but were described as a "British couple" who arrived in St. Johns yesterday. They are sailing aboard the Fred Olsen cruise ship, Boudicca. 
reports that the tourism and cruise people were discussing, among other issues, a "Crime Stoppers" forum when the robbery took place.
In researching Ms. Nilssen's death, I ran across an interesting blog written by Cynthia Boal Janssens who is one the bloggers on the cruise website 
I think that this incident reinforces a fact of travel that we should never forget. That crime exists everywhere . . . 
The 
We last reported on the island of Antigua in an article entitled "
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham presided over a "Plaques and Keys" ceremony welcoming the cruise ship to the country. The Prime Minister boarded the ship along with hundreds of government officials to meet and greet Royal Caribbean International President Adam Goldstein and the Master of the vessel, William Wright.
excursions. 
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The article is by a Disney cruise passenger, Carney Milne, who took the now infamous Segway tour into the 160 acre nature preserve called "Earth Village" last month..jpg)
Michelle Higgins in the Times' "Practical Traveler" section, the article suggests that crime is rising in Belize, Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago, and St. Lucia. 
on Professor Ross Klein's website ".jpg)
couple of years ago, Canada's "
Yesterday, U.S. Customs and Border Protective Services arrested a rape suspect who had flown to Miami to go on a Carnival cruise aboard the Destiny.
Steven Mark Anthony Requena, 28, was arrested while on the Carnival Cruise Ship "Inspiration" at the Port of Tampa..jpg)
But the problem remains that arrests of rape suspects are rare on cruise ships. You will never see a photograph or video of a cruise line employee who is accused of raping a passenger making a "perp walk." .jpg)
on the crime spree in the Bahamas and the inability of the government to do anything about it..jpg)
Terry Miller (below, left) , suggests that the latest robbery may have been an "inside job," although he declined to elaborate. It is obviously suspicious that these two robbers would know exactly where and when to go in a 160 acre preserve to rob two groups of cruise passengers. .jpg)
offer a complementary tour of the site to the victims." And the popular cruise community .jpg)
with a governmental organization called the Bahamas Association for Social Health's (BASH). .jpg)
her cabin. This was far from a rape, but it certainly sounds like something other than a "cultural misunderstanding."
He was a big man and i was a little unnerved by his size. I just stopped his hands and didn't say anything. I know I am stupid for not reporting right away, but i just wasn't sure what to do. I had another incident occur on a Royal ship years ago with my then 11 year old son, where a fellow passenger hauled off and cold cocked him while he was at the kids club. The security really didn't do much about it, told his parents and told them to stay close to their son for the trip, but he was still allowed in the kids club and left unsupervised on the ship. Needless to say my son had a black eye throughout our vacation and the fact that security just didn't make sure that this other kid was allowed where my son was, was even more upsetting. Maybe that is why I didn't report him at the time for fear of security not really doing much . . ." 
Recently, a bill was introduced before Congress (HR 3360) which will require cruise lines to provide contact information for assault crisis centers. But the Senate has not voted on the bill yet. As matters now stand, cruise lines continue to keep the passengers in the dark regarding what to so or who to contact in circumstances like this..jpg)
Follow up in writing and by email. Don't let it drop until you are satisfied. .jpg)
At this moment, the Oasis of the Seas is sailing with newspaper reporters, travel writers, cruise bloggers, and other cruise enthusiasts. They are tweeting their observations on Twitter under the hashtag .jpg)
1. Does the Oasis of the Seas discharge wastewater/sewage (whether treated or outside 3 miles of shore or not) during the cruises? .jpg)
have found when female passengers are at a higher risk of being assaulted?.jpg)
A woman from Kansas City accused Princess Cruises crew member Jorge Manuel Teixeira (from Portugal) of sexually assaulting her during a cruise last March between Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles, while the ship was at sea off the coast of Mexico..jpg)
Arrests of sexual predators on cruise ships are rare, and criminal prosecutions and convictions are somewhere between slim and none. Cruise lines often help defend their crew members behind the scenes, in the hope of avoiding the stigma of one of their crew members going to jail. .jpg)
Congress approved the bill by a resounding vote of 416 to 4..jpg)
requirement that all doors be fitted with peepholes so that passengers inside cabins can determine who is outside of their doors. Congress was previously provided with testimony of passengers who opened their doors and were raped by crew members. .jpg)
identifying the attacker, or in prosecuting the crime. The ship doctor gave Ms. Dishman a trash bag and told her to return to the crime scene and collect the evidence herself. Congresswoman Matui characterized the need for the cruise crime bill as "urgent and necessary." 
Caribbean had over 250 incidents of where cruise victims were sexually assaulted, battered or sexually harassed. (Our firm handled the case where a Court in Miami ordered the cruise line to reveal this information under a threatened sanction of $1,000 a day). 
victims..jpg)
ric cemetary when two men tired to rob him of his camera and then shot him. The newspaper reported the capture of "two youth gang members" suspected in the murder. The banditos were identifed as gang members because of the tatoos on their faces..bmp)
Crimes committed against cruise passengers while ashore in ports of call are a concern throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Three weeks ago, Cruise Law News was the first in the U.S. to report that eleven cruise passengers were robbed at gunpoint at a major tourist attraction in downtown Nassau on a Sunday morning - "
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Most passengers don't realize the danger which women and children face on cruise ships. For example, who would think that they are at risk of being raped on the cruise line featured in the popular television series the "Love Boat?"
The most publicized sexual assault this year involved .jpg)
Foreseeability of Sexual Assaults on Cruise Ships?
One of the speakers at the hearing was Evelyn Fortier, the former vice president of the 
But the Miami Herald has remained oddly silent over the past many years. One reason is that the Miami Herald is best known for its puff pieces and color photographs in its Sunday travel (i.e., cruise) section. The Miami Herald's Executive Business Editor, .jpg)
Ken Carver whose daughter Merrian disappeared on a cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises. The legislation was introduced by California Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) whose constituent, Ms. Laurie Dishman was sexually assaulted on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Ms. Dishman is a client and good friend of the firm. She has worked tirelessly with the other ICV members to make sure that legislation like this is enacted to protect the traveling public.
The International Cruise Victims Association (ICV) applauds House passage today of critical language authored by Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-CA) ensuring the safety of cruise ship passengers on the high seas. Matsui’s Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act of 2009, included in H.R. 3619, the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2010, requires cruise lines to report all crimes aboard cruise ships to both the United States Coast Guard and the FBI. The first measure of its kind, this legislation represents a historic step toward securing the safety all passengers need and deserve.
My legislation will not only help protect and empower future victims, but it contains important reforms that will help change the culture of the cruise industry and prevent future attacks from happening.”
As this crucial legislation moves forward, it serves as a sign to many among the ICV’s community of followers that progress is being made toward ensuring the safety of Americans abroad. The measure approved today is a major victory in the fight for cruise passengers’ rights. ICV President Kendall Carver expressed his hopeful outlook as the legislation has been approved by committee in the Senate. “Adoption of this bill would be proof to the world that our small group of volunteers with limited funds has been able to make a difference in the safety of Americans. When the Cruise Safety legislation is signed into law, it will serve to protect Americans across the nation during what ought to be relaxing vacations.”
American law enforcement. Title IX requires cruise ships to comply with design and construction standards, such as specific rail heights, peep holes, warning devices and cabin security measures. The bill also requires that vessels are equipped with a video surveillance system to assist in documenting and prosecuting crimes, and it requires vessels to maintain a log book to record reports on specified complaints. Finally, once enacted, vessels will be required to contact the nearest FBI office as soon as possible to report incidents involving homicide, suspicious deaths, missing U.S. nationals, kidnapping, assault, and other serious occurrences.
The prosecution originally brought three charges against defendant Wilhelm for his involvement in the .jpg)
The jury had to ignore much of the evidence introduced over the course of the last month after the prosecution withdrew manslaughter-by-criminal-negligence allegations. The Court instructed the jurors that the trial was no longer about whether Mark Wilhelm should have helped Ms Brimble, and to ignore photographs of her dying on the cabin floor. 
U.S. passenger Anthony Issac brought the drugs to the Island in a suitcase aboard the NCL cruise ship. A "friend" of his paid him $10,000 to go on vacation and to drop the suitcase off in Bermuda. The NCL passenger, a 34 year-old truck driver from the Bronx, apologized to the court in Bermuda. He explained that he smuggled the reefer because he was "experiencing financial problems and thought the money would help."
In November 2006, another 
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Crimes against U.S. passengers from cruise ships are one of the risks inherent in cruising. Most passengers are not aware of the dangers, and most cruise lines do not warn passengers. 
One of the subscribers to this blog commented on an earlier article about the danger presented when 
"I can’t think anything I’d rather less do than go on holiday with five thousand three hundred and ninety-nine other people. Imagine the rush for the boats – or taxis – during shore excursions. Imagine the stress of finding a space by the pool. Or queuing for dinner. One may as well go to the Med and scrap with the Russians and Germans for sun loungers. No wonder people get punchy. Who wouldn’t?"
Cruise lines have suffered from terrible publicity due to the irresponsible way that they have responded to shipboard crimes. For example, after Ms. Brimble died, the P & O brand (a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation which also owns sister company Princess Cruises), began running a highly sexualized marketing campaign touting an image of booze and sex. 
The last time the press reported a sexual assault on a Princess Cruises or P & O cruise was earlier this year. A 
This type of story should serve as a wake up to parents who take their children on cruises. Yes, there are sexual deviants and predators on cruise ships. We have had too many cases where unsuspecting parents leave their kids in the cabin when they go to the casino, or stay late at the disco. While the parents are gone, a cabin attendant enters the cabin with his pass key. Let's skip the details. Trust me, leaving a 12 year old boy or his 14 year old sister alone in a cabin is a bad idea.
Jim Walker is a maritime lawyer who has attended seven Congressional hearing on issues of cruise ship crime, passenger disappearances,
