SAMMAMISH, WASHINGTON, January 9, 2007: The International Cruise Victims Association, Inc. (ICV), a not for profit corporation formed by victims and families of victims of cruise crimes, is pleased to announce that RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is uniting with ICV to push for passage of HR 5707, the Cruise Line Accurate Safety Statistics (CLASS) Act to reform the cruise line industry’s reporting and handling of sexual assaults. RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.
Perpetrators of sexual assaults on cruise ships are rarely brought to justice given the jurisdictional uncertainties and lack of reporting of these crimes by cruise ships. The CLASS Act would ameliorate this problem by requiring cruise line corporations to report sexual assaults to U.S. authorities within four (4) hours of learning of the crime. If the crime is not reported within four (4) hours, the owner of the cruise ship would face a financial penalty of up to $250,000.00.
Rape is the most violent crime anyone can survive, said Scott Berkowitz, president and founder of RAINN. It is also the most underreported. Requiring cruise ships to report rapes and sexual assaults is a critical first step in putting attackers behind bars, and subsequently preventing repeat offenses. I applaud ICV for their efforts and look forward to working with them on the passage of the CLASS Act.
ICV welcomes and thanks RAINN for recognizing the seriousness of the issue of sexual assaults at sea and joining in its efforts for meaningful reform of the cruise line industry
For more information about the International Crime Victims Association, please visit www.internationalcruisevictims.org or write to info[at]internationalcruisevictims.org, phone 425-753-7711, fax 206-374-2944.
