Twenty-four people disappeared from cruise ships between 2003 and 2005 and 178 passengers reported being sexually assaulted

[almaty 19]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Twenty-four people disappeared from cruise ships between 2003 and 2005 and 178 passengers reported being sexually assaulted, a congressional panel heard Tuesday.

Among those who disappeared were an elderly Vietnamese-American couple who fled their native land as "boat people" in 1975.

Hue Pham, 71 and his wife, Hue Tran, 67, fled Vietnam 30 years ago with five other family members, spending two weeks floating in the Pacific with little food or water, their son, Son Michael Pham told a House of Representatives subcommittee.

They eventually reached the United States and built a successful life. Last May, they disappeared during a Caribbean cruise. Pham said the crew waited over four hours after being alerted to the disappearances before notifying the U.S. Coast Guard and it took several more hours to mount a search, which found no trace of the couple.

"Two American citizens with no personal or financial problems, no serious health problems, living the happiest time of their lives, both vanished without a trace or witness," Pham told the subcommittee on national security, emerging threats and international relations.

Of the disappearances, 12 were deemed suicides, one an accidental fall overboard and the others were deemed "missing for unknown reasons," said Lawrence Kaye, a lawyer representing major cruise lines.

Almost half of the 178 reported sexual assaults were allegedly committed by other passengers, according to figures released by the International Council of Cruise Lines.

With over 31 million people taking cruises in the three years under review, only four robberies were reported, the council said. However Ohio Democrat Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he suspected the figures understated the true situation and that not all crimes were being reported.

Several other witnesses told the subcommittee of tragedies on cruises. Lynsey O'Brien, a 15 year-old girl, was served at least 10 alcoholic drinks at a cruise ship bar and fell overboard while leaning over a balcony to vomit.

Janet Kelly, a 49-year-old married woman, said she was drugged by a bartender and raped

just wrong....

[pri 0]

wow thats news for me I always thought they had security guards on board so people dont mess around

[almaty 19]

wow thats news for me I always thought they had security guards on board so people dont mess around

i always thought it was safe too..i heard allot on the news about the honeymooner who disappeared..

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

How many people went on cruises during that time? What's the accident rate for that same number of people on land? I bet it's lower on the ocean. No automobile accidents at sea. etc.

[Welshcookie 17]

this just makes me understand why i never have wanted to go on a cruise........a huddle of different personalities, alcohol, bad shows, small spaces...large ocean.....

[ChristinaM 0]

I resent that "bad shows" comment, as a former shipboard showband musician....

Unless you're being very stupid (like, suicidally stupid), it's actually pretty hard to fall overboard. It's also very easy to get lost amongst many people and for your absense to not be noticed for some time - we're talking 10 decks plus of things to do, and cell phones don't work in the middle of the ocean so it's hard of you lose someone to find them again unless you have a prearranged meeting point and time. 4 hours is not a long time to lose someone for - all it takes is to be constantly missing each other.

Falling from deck 10 (Lido, often the first open public deck) and hitting the water is like hitting concrete from that height, so you're pretty much dead on impact. If you're really unlucky, you get dragged through the propellers too. And these ships move FAST, people, and they take a long time to stop and a wide circle to turn around (if you tip most of them beyond 17 degrees, they can't recover). It's no wonder that people who go overboard are so hard to locate.

There is no conspiracy here. People get drunk and do foolish things, and fall overboard. Occasionally someone pushes someone overboard. There are security guards on board, and if anything most people (particularly the crew!) would say that they're a little heavy-handed at times. But they can't be everywhere at once.

[Welshcookie 17]

I resent that "bad shows" comment, as a former shipboard showband musician....

I thought about you later...

oh well...you offend some ppl some of the time....I was just being VJ flippant, as you know

[Anastasia 1]

this just makes me understand why i never have wanted to go on a cruise........a huddle of different personalities, alcohol, bad shows, small spaces...large ocean.....

Same here

[almaty 19]

i think with this info..and other bad publicity, they need to clean their act up quickly..regardless, if it a small amount of crime, to the total customer usage..it is now bad publicity and i see them being active in this area.

[mawilson 2,133]

I know some people here who disappeared from a foreign cruise ship into the arms of a US citizen

[ChristinaM 0]

I know some people here who disappeared from a foreign cruise ship into the arms of a US citizen

It was a US cruiseship...

[mercuryroad 0]

178 sexually assaulted! Where was I when the Love Boat left the dock?

[mawilson 2,133]

I know some people here who disappeared from a foreign cruise ship into the arms of a US citizen

It was a US cruiseship...

Yep - was thinking about you! Am I that transparent?

[ChristinaM 0]

Hehehehe

Well it was either Thunderdncer's hubby or me, and since I'd posted on this thread.....

Edited March 9, 2006 by clmarsh

[StellaR 0]

Strange I should come across this thread, as a story on our Australian news last night was of a court case where a very attractive, but as her family and ex-husband stated, a very prudish 42 year old woman. She was drugged, raped by eight men and found dead in their cabin. They had taken pictures of her in this state (maybe for the internet I thought). She had apparently died from the date-rape drug but they claimeded it had all been consensual on her part but somehow the authorities know that they had plans of throwing her body overboard but for too may other passengers. Apparently the ships captain had offered these 8 men a free cruise to make up for their cruise being an unhappy one. This story affected me deeply. Can't seem to get this poor womans face out of my mind. She had saved for ages to go on a cruise with some other female relatives. Such a devastatingly sad and degrading end to a happy family cruise.