International Cruise Victims Association (ICV) Members to Testify at Congressional Hearing

PRESS RELEASE

Congress has scheduled a hearing on March 27, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. on "Crimes Against Americans on Cruise Ships." The hearing will be conducted by the Subcommittee on Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation, and will be held at the 2167 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington D.C. Congress has invited a number of members of the ICV to testify regarding their experiences, as well as experts on crimes on cruise ships. These include Kendall Carver and Laurie Dishman.
Kendall Carver of Phoenix, Arizona lost his daughter on the Celebrity cruise ship Mercury, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises. Following her disappearance, the cruise line failed to notify family members or law enforcement and engaged in a cover-up of his daughter’s disappearance, Mr. Carver alleges. Mr. Carver is the President and one of the founding members of the ICV. Families of victims created this organization as a victims advocacy group to protect the members of the public who travel on cruise ships. The group now has members around the world including 10 difference countries and a separate chapter in Australia.
Ms. Laurie Dishman of Sacramento, California, was a victim of a violent crime occurred aboard the Vision of the Seas, a cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean. According to Ms. Dishman, a security guard employed by the cruise line sexually assaulted and battered her while she was in her cabin. Ms. Dishman’s investigation has revealed that the security guard was originally hired to work as a janitor. The ship assigned him and other janitors security badges to work in the ship’s lounge because of an inadequate number of security personnel on the cruise ship.
The ICV will be discussing proposals to reduce shipboard crime, increase the conviction rate of criminals on cruise ships, and protect the victims from poor treatment by the cruise industry following the crimes. In addition to the ICV member, Congress invited a number of experts on cruise ship crimes to address the committee.
Professor Ross Klein is a Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, Newfoundland. His academic training is in sociology, and his interests include the cruise industry. He is the author of Cruise Ship Blues and has written and lectured extensively regarding the cruise ship industry.
Jack Hickey is a maritime lawyer in Miami, Florida, and has handled numerous maritime cases since his graduation from Duke University School of Law in 1980. After originally representing cruise lines, Mr. Hickey now represents passengers who have been injured on cruise ships due to accidents and sexual assaults.
Additional speakers will include representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigations ("FBI"), the United States Coast Guard, and executives from Royal Caribbean Cruises and Holland America Lines.
For more information about the International Crime Victims Association, please visit www.internationalcruisevictims.org or write to info@internationalcruisevictims.org, phone 425-753-7711, fax 206-374-2944.