Two mothers from Kentucky claim they were drugged and raped on Sunday during a no-children vacation in the Bahamas.
Once their Carnival cruise ship docked, Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson decided to visit the beach but allege the unthinkable happened, the New York Post reported Thursday.
Images show the two women during their trip:
A resort employee offered them a deal on drinks when the women were enjoying Grand Bahama Beach, but they soon realized the drinks were extremely strong, the Post article said.
When the pair went searching for seashells, a male resort employee said he could show them a good area for the activity. Shearer claims she woke up while a uniformed male resort worker was sexually assaulting her.
“I came to in the process of my rape,” she explained.
Surveillance footage helped authorities identify the men in question, and Royal Bahamas police arrested a 40-year-old from South Bahamia and a man in his 50s from Eight Mile Rock in connection to the case, which remains under investigation.
However, the Post article said, “The women say their allegations weren’t properly handled and that the local cops did not administer proper rape test kits despite their pleas.”
Toxicology results revealed that the women had several drugs in their systems but barely any alcohol. They also allegedly suffered bruising on their legs.
After returning home to Kentucky, the pair hired a lawyer. They are undergoing medical treatment. They have since claimed that Carnival did not inform them about official warnings when traveling to the area.
On January 26, the U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory for the Bahamas.
“Exercise increased caution in The Bahamas due to crime,” the statement reads:
The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands. In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the “Over the Hill” area (south of Shirley Street) where gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily affecting the local population. Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Be vigilant when staying at short-term vacation rental properties where private security companies do not have a presence.
Meanwhile, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis recently said, “The persistent cycle of violence and crime has been a dark cloud over our nation,” per NBC News:
However, the Bahamian foreign minister still encouraged people to visit the area, the outlet said.
When offering advice for tourists in such places, Director of Intelligence at Global Guardian Michael Ballard said his group encourages people to “maintain situational awareness.”
“Folks are buried in their phone. They’re not paying attention to their surroundings. They are posing for their pictures that they post on Instagram and social media, and that makes them an easy target,” he stated.
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