The Bahamas resort where two Kentucky mothers say they were drugged and raped by two employees said the women’s account of what happened did not match the surveillance footage. .
Amber Shearer and Dongueira Dobson said they were assaulted in broad daylight by Pirates Cove staff while relaxing on the beach while their Carnival cruise ship docked in Grand Island, Bahamas.
Longtime friends said an employee offered him a special drink, but after just 15 minutes he began to feel incredibly inebriated.
They were led by staff to a secluded area to search for shells, but Ms Shearer said she regained consciousness while being raped by a man in uniform.
The couple, who were covered in cuts and bruises, reported the sexual assault to Bahamian police, who later alerted police. arrested Two men – a 40-year-old from the Southern Bahamas and a 54-year-old from Eight Mile Rock.
Police said the investigation is ongoing, but Pirates Cove claims CCTV footage shows the two women’s accounts do not match.
“After further review of the surveillance video, the allegations made at the scene, as well as subsequent social media posts and news articles, are inconsistent with what is contained in the time-stamped surveillance video.” In a statement, the beach resort did not elaborate further, but said: Daily Mail reported.
Pirates Cove also confirmed that two employees were fired, saying their actions captured on tape “indicate, at a minimum, that they violated our zero-tolerance policy.” Stated.
Carnival Cruises confirmed to the Post on Wednesday that two passengers aboard the Carnival Elation reported a sexual assault that occurred during an “independent shore excursion.”
“Our onboard care team supported two guests returning to Jacksonville,” the cruise line said.
Dobson and Sears remember being at the beach and feeling like there was something other than alcohol in their cocktails.
“Less than a few [sips] When we started our second drink we realized something was wrong.Something went horribly wrong,” Shearer said. He told NewsNation’s “Mr. Cuomo.”” Even their loved ones were worried after speaking to them on video, she said.
She recalled waking up in fear. “She came to her senses during the rape,” she said, sobbing.
They said they did not believe their complaints were handled properly and that police did not administer rape test kits at their request.
Upon returning to the cruise ship, the mothers received toxicology test results, which revealed that they had large amounts of drugs, including benzodiazepines, in their systems. It is noteworthy that there was almost no alcohol in their bodies, and there were bruises on their legs.
Just five days before the holiday, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis insisted the country was a “safe” destination for tourists.
US Embassy in the Bahamas Security warning removed And last month’s travel advisory said the island nation was currently unsafe for tourists, with 18 murders “primarily” related to gang violence in January alone.
The State Department issued a Level 2 advisory on January 26, a little more than a week after two American women were allegedly raped.
Dobson and Sears, who have never been outside the country, argue that Carnival should have warned them about the dangers in the Bahamas.
“We had no idea what was going on in the Bahamas,” Dobson told the station. “We were targeted from the moment we were discovered.”
The woman’s lawyer, Nicholas Gerson, told NewsNation that Carnival “has a legal obligation to warn you of dangerous conditions that you should be aware of.”
“Carnival is actually promoting this special tour on their website and they are actually profiting from the tour,” he added. “Therefore, Carnival should have warned its clients, and the warning should not have come from the State Department.”
Carnival said it is cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
