[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 137 (Monday, September 17, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1899-E1900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     INTRODUCTION OF PROTECT AMERICANS FROM CRIMES ON CRUISE SHIPS 
                               RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 17, 2007

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Protect 
Americans from Crimes on Cruise Ships Resolution with many of my 
distinguished colleagues, including Representatives Chris Shays and 
Carolyn Maloney.
  Madam Speaker, in 2007, over 12 million Americans will travel on 
cruise lines. Unfortunately, few of these vacationing ``cruisers'' 
fully appreciate their potential vulnerability to crime while on an 
ocean voyage. Citizens who are victimized often do not know their legal 
rights or who to contact for help in the immediate aftermath of the 
crime.
  In recent years, the media has reported on a number of high profile 
cases of passengers falling overboard, passengers gone missing and 
passengers being raped and sexually assaulted. Sadly, many of these 
cases remain unresolved. Worse yet, many cases go unreported because 
there is no industry reporting mechanism.
  My involvement in this issue began after a young woman from my 
district, Laurie Dishman, came to me for assistance after she had been 
a victim of a violent crime on a cruise ship. Laurie shared her 
shocking story with me in a letter one year ago.
  As a passenger on board the Vision of the Seas, a ship operated by 
Royal Caribbean, Laurie was raped by a crew member. One of the most 
disturbing aspects of Laurie's case is that the cruise ship on which 
she was raped was short security staff. As a result, the cruise line 
promoted someone with no training to perform security personnel duties. 
If a real security guard had been aboard, Laurie may have been spared 
her awful ordeal. The tragedy that ensued is something that Laurie will 
never forget.
  The story of her experience on the ship was shocking enough. 
Unfortunately, I soon learned that was only the beginning. Laurie wrote 
me to tell me she was having difficulty getting a response to her 
request for information about the incident from the cruise line. As I 
began looking into the matter, a number of red flags were raised 
regarding the handling of

[[Page E1900]]

Laurie's particular case. These include the FBI's decision not to have 
a polygraph test of the crewmember and the cruise line's decision to 
withhold Laurie's own medical information.
  These incidents beg the question: what is the process when a crime is 
committed on a cruise line and what recourse do passengers have? The 
more I have inquired, the more I have been alarmed that there is no 
shortage of cases of: rape, sexual assaults of minors, alcohol related 
fighting and abuse, and persons overboard.
  Even more troubling, most of these incidents have not been fully 
resolved or prosecuted. I have also learned that there have been no 
convictions for rape cases on cruise lines in four decades, a statistic 
that takes a new meaning through the lens of Ms. Dishman's experience.
  As a result of continued cases of victims of crimes on the high seas, 
and with the much appreciated leadership of Chairman Cummings, the 
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing 
on this important issue in March, 2007. The hearing showed numerous 
discrepancies between the experience sold by cruise lines and the real 
experience on board these ships. In addition, the hearing highlighted 
how crime numbers reported to Congress in a previous hearing are 
radically different from the cruise industry's internal crime 
statistics.
  The result of our hearing, combined with numerous and unending media 
reports of crimes on cruise ships, point to the need for increased 
safety and security for these passengers. Prevention can be an 
important tool, and we all know that prevention starts with making 
people aware of the potential for a crime to occur. It is time for 
Congress to acknowledge formally this ongoing problem and to ensure 
that Americans are informed, aware and safe. The Resolution I am 
introducing today will do just that.
  The resolution acknowledges:
  The lack of federal regulation overseeing crime reporting by the 
cruise industry;
  The absence of law enforcement officials on ocean voyages;
  That without a law enforcement official, cruise officials are 
essentially responsible for collection and preserving a crime scene;
  Most cruise ships are registered under the laws of another country;
  Perpetrators of sexual violence and other violent crimes on cruise 
ships are rarely brought to justice; and
  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 
voyage.
  And Resolves that:
  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;
  Americans who are victims of crime on a cruise ship should have 
access to justice, and necessary steps should be taken to ensure that 
the perpetrators of such crimes are brought to justice;
  The cruise industry should provide comprehensive information to 
passengers about security risks and maintain necessary security 
personnel on each ship; and
  Congress should provide oversight to ensure the safety and security 
of American passengers.
  Madam Speaker, nearly all cruise ships operate under a foreign flag. 
U.S. citizens who are victimized onboard cruise ships often do not know 
their legal rights or who to contact for help in the immediate 
aftermath of crimes. Cruises operate in a legal vacuum, where a lack of 
accountability empowers predators and obstructs their victims' pursuit 
of justice. That is an unacceptable situation, made worse by the cruise 
lines' own efforts to avoid scrutiny of and accountability for their 
own handling of the security of their passengers.
  My hope is that with increased Congressional involvement that the 
cruise lines finally take these crimes seriously and enact necessary 
reforms. The Resolution acknowledges the ongoing safety concerns and 
will help ensure that the millions of men, women and children who 
cruise each year are informed, aware and safe on cruise ships. This 
resolution is supported by the Women's Caucus and Victim's Rights 
Caucus, and I would urge all of my colleagues to cosponsor this 
important Resolution.

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