Another rape at sea story on CNN's front page

Professional Mariner Forum
41

I strongly disagree. Of course rapes happen on land in other professions but the victims don’t have to live & answer to their rapists for months on end while at sea. If a waitress is raped its horrible but at least they can quicky get a rape kit, be removed from the rapist & have an impartial support network to help them like John Merrones first victim. The waitress who first accused him didn’t want to press charges even though she had cuts, bruises & a broken toe. From reading that report, she told 2-3 people before someone with a law enforcement background called the police for her. I don’t think that is happing in shipping. What makes rape even more horrendous for US MMA cadets is, it’s probably a career killer for those who publicly report it & if their names become public. Cadets from MMA don’t have many companies & unions to choose from after graduation, it’s a pretty tight knit community. I’m sure it’s hard enough to be a female mariner without going your whole career known as the 3M, 2M, CM etcs who accused Capt/1AE So & So of rape. Do you think Midship X could ever be 1AE on the ship & sleep in the same room where her virginity was taken via rape? Her shipping career was over the night she was raped. I don’t think shipping is getting an undeserved bad rap about rape. I hope victims of sexual assault sues companies & people in our industry so bad companies & unions would be horrified at the possibility of hiring a rapist or sexual harasser. I haven’t heard the N word used aboard ship in 20 plus years even with all white crews. That’s now a career killer where I’ve worked. That’s how it should be about sexual harassment. We should treat sexual harassment worse than how we treat oil pollution. Bring as much scrutiny & attention to it as possible IMO.