Over the past week there has been a steady stream of articles in the international press regarding the sexual assault of a 15 year old girl by two Brazilian passengers aboard the Allure of the Seas.
The Mail Online newspaper in the U.K. published an article Vacation Nightmare As Daughter, 15, On A Family Christmas Cruise ‘Is Lured From A Teen Dance And Raped By Two Men In A Private Room’
Numerous newspapers in Brazil are covering the story as well. Today Cominidade News in Brazil was the latest Brazilian newspaper to report on the alleged cruise crime case.
This is an incident which is likely to remain in the news for a long time. It involves the world’s largest cruise ship which Royal Caribbean launched with great fanfare. The question is whether the one billion dollar cruise ship, packed with multiple Flow-riders, rock climbing walls, skating rink and zip line attractions, has adequate security to protect its 6,500 guests from crimes like this.
The case also will highlight jurisdictional issues involved when foreign nationals from a country with no extradition treaty with the U.S. commit a crime against an U.S. citizen on a foreign flagged cruise ship.
Tomorrow morning a criminal state court judge in Fort Lauderdale will take evidence and entertain argument whether defendant Luiz Scavone (full name Antonio Luiz Scavone Neto) presents a flight risk. If defendant Scavone is able to flee the U.S. and return to Brazil, there is a certainty that the U.S. will never be able to compel his return to face trial.
Read our prior articles:
Two Rapes Alleged on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas Cruise Ship