110 HRES 652 IH: Expressing the sense of Congress regarding
U.S. House of Representatives
2007-09-17
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
Whereas there are approximately 200 overnight ocean-going
cruise ships worldwide, and the average such ship carries 2,000 passengers as
well as a crew of 950 people;
Whereas approximately 12,000,000 passengers are projected
to take a cruise worldwide in the year 2007 alone;
Whereas few vacationing passengers on cruise liners fully
appreciate their potential vulnerability to crime while on an ocean voyage, and
those who are victimized often do not know their legal rights or who to contact
for help in the immediate aftermath of the crime;
Whereas sexual violence, the disappearance of passengers
from vessels on the high seas, and other serious crimes have occurred during
luxury cruises on numerous occasions, as evidenced by the congressional
testimony of the President of the International Cruise Victims Association,
Kendall Carver, and Ms. Laurie Dishman during a March 27, 2007 hearing before
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives;
Whereas crimes at sea can involve attacks by both
passengers and crewmembers on other passengers and crewmembers;
Whereas no Federal statute or regulation explicitly
requires cruise lines to report alleged crimes to United States Government
officials unless such crimes occur within the territorial waters of the United
States;
Whereas it is not known precisely how often crimes occur
on cruise ships or exactly how many people have disappeared during ocean
voyages because cruise line companies do not make comprehensive, crime-related
data readily available to the public;
Whereas obtaining reliable crime-related cruise data from
governmental sources can be difficult, because multiple countries may be
involved when crime occurs on the high seas, including the flag country for the
vessel, the country of citizenship of particular passengers, and any countries
having special or maritime jurisdiction;
Whereas due to the absence of law enforcement officials on
ocean voyages, it can be difficult or impossible for criminal investigators to
immediately secure an alleged crime scene on a cruise ship, recover evidence of
an onboard offense, and identify or interview potential witnesses to the
alleged crime;
Whereas the adequate collection and preservation of
evidence relating to a crime on the high seas frequently depends upon the
ability and willingness of cruise officials to manage an alleged crime scene,
identify possible witnesses, and provide aid to the victim until law
enforcement officials arrive on the ship;
Whereas most cruise ships that operate into and out of
United States ports are registered under the laws of another country and
subsequent investigations and prosecutions of crimes against passengers and
crewmembers may involve the laws and authorities of multiple nations;
Whereas perpetrators of sexual violence and other violent
crimes on cruise ships are rarely brought to justice in light of the
jurisdictional uncertainties and the absence of law enforcement authorities
employing standard police investigative procedures on voyages;
Whereas sexual assault and physical assaults on cruise
ships were the leading crime reported to and investigated by the Federal Bureau
of Investigation on the high seas over the last five years, but cruise line
personnel do not consistently provide sufficient access to readily available,
confidential support services, such as the crisis intervention services that
are available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline or the National
Sexual Assault Online Hotline, for American passengers who become victims of
sexual violence while vacationing on cruise ships;
Whereas consumers who book a cruise generally do not
receive information at the point of sale about their legal rights as a cruise
passenger and who to contact for help in the event a crime occurs during their
oceangoing voyage; and
Whereas groups such as the International Cruise Victims
Association, the National Center for Victims of Crime, and the Rape, Abuse
& Incest National Network have voiced concern about the safety of
passengers and crewmembers traveling on ocean voyages: Now, therefore, be
it
That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that—
(1)the members of the
International Cruise Victims Association, the National Center for Victims of
Crime, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network are to be commended
for their leadership in highlighting the problem of crimes against American
citizens on cruise ships;
(2)cruise line
passengers and crewmembers who become victims of crime while traveling on the
high seas are often denied access to justice and support services, and
Americans who are victims of crime on a cruise ship should have ready access to
justice and additional steps should be taken to ensure that the perpetrators of
such crimes are brought to justice;
(3)the cruise
industry should provide comprehensive information to passengers about security
risks and maintain necessary security personnel on each ship; and
(4)Congress should
provide oversight to ensure the safety and security of American
passengers.