Carnival Cruise Lawsuit: Company Ordered To Pay Over $10M In Sexual Assault Of Passenger

Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) has been ordered to pay more than $10.2 million in a settlement with a passenger who said that a former crew member raped her in a storage closet in December 2018.

The passenger, who was identified as Jane Doe in court documents, claimed she was sexually assaulted and held in false imprisonment while onboard the Carnival Miracle cruise ship by then-crew member Fredy Anggara, CNN reported.

The cruise line was found liable for Doe’s damages, but a jury separately found that the company was not negligent and that no intentional emotional distress was inflicted on the woman by the crew member.

Doe, who was 21 at the time of the incident, was on the cruise with a friend and their family. On the last night of the cruise, in the early morning hours of Dec. 2, 2018, she became highly intoxicated and claimed she hit her head by slipping on the pool deck of the ship, as reported by CNN.

Doe said she next found herself in a closet with Anggara, 27 at the time, when the sexual assault occurred. Court documents indicated that Anggara was holding Doe’s hand as they entered the closet, and the plaintiff believed the closet door had been locked by the crew member.

Anggara was fired immediately by Carnival in accordance with its zero-tolerance policy that prohibits fraternizing with guests, the company said in a statement obtained by CNN.

According to Doe’s lawyer, Daniel Courtney, Anggara was not arrested for the alleged incident, and his whereabouts are unknown despite an FBI investigation.

Carnival’s statement argued that the incident between Doe and Anggara was consensual, adding that it was going to appeal the court decision. Anggara had provided a written statement to the cruise line, saying that Doe chose to go in the closet with him and have sexual relations, according to the news outlet.

Doe filed her complaint against Carnival in November 2019, almost a year after the alleged sexual assault took place. She did not name Anggara in her suit.