Margaritaville Cruise Settles Two Sexual Assault Lawsuits

Sexual assault remains a serious problem aboard cruise ships. Often, it is employees of the cruise vessel itself who are the ones committing the sexual assaults. When this happens, the cruise ship is liable via a theory known as vicarious liability or respondeat superior, a Latin phrase meaning “let the master answer.” It is a legal doctrine that holds employers responsible for the conduct of their employees. It is a concept closely tied to corporate personhood which treats the corporation as a single entity.

In a recent case of cruise ship sexual assault, two women claim that a bartender and employee of the Jimmy Buffet-themed cruise ship, Margaritaville, pocketed their room keys and entered their room while they were sleeping. They recently agreed to settle their lawsuits for an undisclosed amount of money.

According to the lawsuit, they accused a crewmate of sneaking into their room aboard the Margaritaville At Sea Paradise ship and raping them while they slept. One of the women, identified only as Jane Doe, alleged that she became pregnant as a result of the rape and was forced to terminate the pregnancy. She claimed she suffered serious complications from the abortion.

The woman’s cabinmate, identified in a separate lawsuit as H.B., said the bartender, Hoobesh Dookhy, pocketed one of their room keys while he was serving the women drinks and used it to enter their room after both had fallen asleep. Doe said she woke up to find Dookhy caressing her face and sexually assaulting her. She told FBI agents that she demanded he leave, but he then moved to HB’s bed and began to assault her too. Doe recorded what happened and reported it to cruise ship security the following morning. Investigators found the room key in the pocket of Dookhy’s work vest and a photo he took of HB while she was naked and asleep on his cellphone.

Suspect gets two-year prison sentence 

Dookhy admitted to having sex with HB but told investigators that the sex was consensual. Facing the possibility of life in federal prison on the sexual abuse charge, Dookhy was able to cut a sweetheart deal in which he pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact. As a result, two of the most serious charges against him were dropped. He was subsequently sentenced to two years in federal prison, five years supervised release, and will be required to register as a sex offender. He was not held accountable for his contact with Jane Doe—only for the rape of HB. The settlement was signed under seal, meaning that there is a gag order in place and the victim is not allowed to tell her story to anyone.

Talk to a Cruise Ship Sexual Assault Attorney Today 

Cruise ship sexual assaults occur entirely too frequently. Often, they are committed by employees of the cruise line. If you have been sexually assaulted aboard a cruise ship, contact the Oakland, CA personal injury lawyers at Venardi Zurada today to schedule an appointment, and learn more about how we can help you hold the cruise line accountable for their negligent hiring and incapacity to control their employees.

Source:

palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2024/06/18/jimmy-buffett-margaritaville-at-sea-paradise-cruise-buys-accusers-silence-settles-two-rape-lawsuits/74077644007/