A bill introduced in the California Assembly would allow the State the right to prosecute criminals on cruise ship voyages that begin and end in the Golden State.
Bill 1060 is sponsored by Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina). If passed, it would give the State Attorney's Office the authority to prosecute if the federal government chooses not to file charges or the FBI decides not to investigate cruise ship crimes.
In the past cruise liners were not required to report to authorities even serious crimes such as assaults and rapes. When and if the companies bothered to report the crimes, the reporting was often shoddy and late. Victims often had to file reports themselves.
That changed when President Obama signed the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act last year that mandates liners to report incidents to the Coast Guard and FBI on voyages calling on a U.S. port.
However, reporting a crime on a cruise is one thing. Pursing the matter is a different story. Congressional hearings in recent years revealed that very few arrests and prosecutions resulted from FBI investigations. Victims of these crimes are frustrated at the FBI's unwillingness to look into physical and sexual assaults, maritime attorneys say.
If passed, Bill 1060 will allow California to step in where the federal government has failed. Florida is the only other state to have passed a similar measure.
If you are the victim of a sexual or physical assault aboard a cruise ship, contact a qualified maritime law firm at once.
Source: Cruise Law News
Category: Cruise Ship Injuries
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