Two women claim they were drugged and raped by staff at Bahamas resort

08 February 2024 , 22:01

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Life-long friends Dongayla Dobson and Amber Shearer say they were drugged and raped during a cruise to the Bahamas (Image: WKYT)

Two women have hit out a cruise company and luxury accommodation site after claims they were drugged and raped at a Bahamas resort.

Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson, both 31, have hit out after reporting they were attacked on the last day of their four-day cruise. The duo, who are both mums from Kentucky, are upset with Carnival Cruises for failing to tell them about an alert from the US State Department warning against visiting the country.

It's alleged the pair were attacked after the cruiser docked at Freeport in Grand Bahama on Sunday. Amber said: "You need to be aware because our cruise line did not make us aware of a travel advisory. We had no idea what was going on in the Bahamas, none whatsoever. I just want people to be safe. Dongayla and I, we've been together for two decades and as best friends we thought we could protect each other and be safe and it's not enough."

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The Kentucky mums say they were treated like criminals by police after their horrific ordeal (WKYT)

Before the pair went on their trip, two travel warnings were issued at the end of January about any travellers taking extreme caution after several daylight murders and sexual assaults. Despite this, the cruise line company still decided to dock at the Caribbean nation.

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Attorney Nicolas Gerson is representing the women, who were staying at Pirate's Cove Resort when they were allegedly assaulted. He said: "One of the issues with Carnival specifically in this case is they have a legal duty to warn about dangerous conditions they should have known about. There is a federal statute the Cruise Chip Vessel Safety and Security Act 2010 that requires victims of crime at high seas they are supposed to offer them contact with the FBI, but none of that was offered.

"Carnival actually markets this particular excursion on their website, they actually profit from the excursion. So Carnival should have warned our clients, the warning shouldn't have come from the State Department."

Amber said she recalls the drinks being "really strong," but clarified she and her friend have both had gastric sleeve so don't usually drink much, MailOnline reports. She added: "Less than a few drinks into the second drink we knew something was terribly wrong. We have videos taken on our phones 15 minutes between when we first go the drink and 15 minutes later and our family and friends are messaging us concerned about us like are you sure you only had one drink? Are you sure, are you guys okay?"

The resort is advertised on the on the cruise website and described as having "experienced, hospitable, and cordial staff" who like to make any visit a "memorable one."

The pair are taking legal action after claims they were attacked on the last day of their cruise holiday (WKYT)

The women say they were told by some men they could help them find shells for their kids back home and led them away. Dongayla added: "We kind of at this point we're feeling it a little bit so we want to get out of the ocean, we're going to look for seashells for our kids. The guy, this staff worker that was there said I know where tons of these are. The man who raped me was the one who directed us as to where to go to collect the shells."

Security footage from the resort shows that within 15 minutes of receiving the drinks, the pair were barely able to stand as they were led away under the influence of cocaine, opiates and benzodiazepines. The women said that toxicology reports showed the cocktail of drugs in their system but no alcohol.

Dongayla continued: "I woke up in the resort bathroom and there were people all around, and I just felt dirtiness on my legs, and I knew what had happened. They told us we had been throwing up which is a good thing because the drugs would have killed us."

A toxicology report shows drugs were in the women's system the night they were attacked (WKYT)

Amber said the pair were "just conscious enough" to tell the men were in uniform and they went to hotel security who were able to identify the three men. She went on to explain how their experience got worse and they were "treated like criminals" when police turned up. Both women were apparently made to face the men they accused of raping them.

Dongayla said they were told if they want any rape kits they needed to go to a hospital, but this was blocked by the US Embassy and the pair were left on their own.

Police arrested a 54-year-old man from Eight Mile Rock and a 40-year-old from South Bahama after resort staff showed them security footage of the women being led away. The suspects haven't been named, but local reports suggest one is connected to a powerful figure on the islands who is leveraging his influence to secure his brother's release.

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In a statement, Carnival Cruise Line said: "While ashore in Freeport, Bahamas on an independent shore excursion, two guests on Carnival Elation reported to Bahamian police that they were sexually assaulted at a local beach. Our onboard Care Team provided support for the two guests as they sailed back to Jacksonville. Bahamian police are investigating the matter and Carnival is providing our full cooperation."

Sean McPolin