Early testimonies in the case surrounding the Costa Concordia disaster have shone light on aspects of the cruise lines that industry officials have been working to downplay for years. The public is learning that the events that resulted in the January disaster were not a series of coincidences or freak occurrences. Rule breaking, lack of accountability and general recklessness are a product of the cruise line culture from the highest officers to the passengers. Worrisome stories and statistics have come to light in recent years, leaving a paper trail of dangerous conditions and questionable security. Following congressional hearings in 2007, cruise lines vowed to provide the FBI with detailed information on crimes against US citizens at sea. The information that came back contained some startling numbers:

• According to the FBI, passengers reported 154 sex-related crimes between 2007-2008.
• Data from three different cruise lines showed that the rate of sexual assault on a cruise ship is much higher than on land, according to a marine tourism study.
• In 2007 and 2008, Carnival Cruise Lines had startlingly high rates of sexual assault. On Carnival ships, 115 per 100,000 reported a sex-related incidents.

These numbers are disturbing, especially when combined with the statistics on other forms of cruise ship injuries and assaults. Cruise lines reported a total of 421 onboard crimes in the 2007-2008 year. This documented history of violence and injury validates the women who testified about Costa Cruise Lines’ history of harassment and recklessness. Congress was right to call for this honest reporting; cruise ship accidents and crime have gone underreported for too long. The cruise industry has gone unchecked for far too long, a mistake that resulted in tragedy.

Jack Hickey – Miami Injury Attorney