A cruise ship cruise member has been arrested for allegedly raping a British woman who was on the Mediterranean cruise with her parents.
The Daily Mail reports that the 27-year-old woman had just embarked on an 11-night Eastern Mediterranenan Cruise on board Celebrity Cruise Line's Celebrity Equinox when she became a rape victim on Friday. The ship left from Civitavecchia, Italy last week, but a 27-year-old crew member, thought to be part of entertainment team, was arrested at the port of Messina, Italy after he was accused of rape. The 1040 ft cruise ship, which also heads to Pireaus, Greece, as well as Kusadasi in Turkey and the Greek islands of Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos was just 17-hours into its journey when the crew member was arrested.
The man reportedly met the woman, both unidentified, at a bar on the 2,850 passenger ship. The two drank for several hours, but the woman decided to go back to her room as she was tired. The man followed her, pushed her inside the room, threw her onto the bed and raped her. The woman was shocked and distraught after the attack as she told her parents what happened. They alerted the captain.
The captain watched video footage that proved that the crew member was with the woman at the bar and that he followed her to her cabin. The crew member was held in custody on board until he was handed over to police.
Despite being raped, the woman continued with the rest of the cruise after being checked by doctors, while the rapist was taken off the ship.
Celebrity Cruises told the Daily Mail,"We are aware of the incident involving a British guest on one of our ships and she has opted to continue her cruise. We are liaising with the relevant authorities." Celebrity Cruises, owned by Royal Caribbean,said they reported the incident to local police and the FBI. USA Today found that the alleged rapist worked for the cruise line's shore-side offices and was conducting business on board.
This isn't the first time that a rape has occurred on a cruise ship. In January, a 15-year-old girl was raped on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas by a fellow passenger.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
