Lawsuit alleges cruise line employee sexually assaulted 11-year-old passenger

A new lawsuit alleges an employee of Norwegian Cruise Line sexually assaulted an 11-year-old passenger in 2018, according to Business Insider.

The lawsuit alleges a steward on the line’s Spirit cruise ship entered the cabin of the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, after being told not to wake up her daughter, identified as Janie Doe. The steward, the lawsuit alleges, entered the room using a master key on several occasions, eventually sexually assaulting Janie Doe and telling her not to tell anyone, according to Business Insider.

{mosads}The lawsuit further says male employees questioned Janie Doe for over three hours in the ship’s infirmary, ignoring multiple requests to leave by Jane Doe, finally allowing the two to leave after she “demanded” it, according to the publication.

Cruise lines reported 82 sexual assaults to the Department of Transportation in 2018, making it the most commonly reported crime aboard cruise ships, according to department data.

Norwegian Cruise Line did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.