P&O Pacific Star - alleged sexual assault

**Ally** · 01-27-2007, 06:15 AM

A 16-year-old girl claims she has been sexually assaulted onboard a P&O cruise ship, police say.

Six detectives from the Queensland Police Service State Crime Operations Command boarded the vessel, believed to be the Pacific Star, late yesterday at Gladstone, north of Brisbane, to conduct an investigation, police said.

At this stage police have found no evidence to charge any person in relation to the sexual assault allegation.

During the investigation, a 23-year-old NSW man was arrested and charged with possession of a dangerous drug.

This charge is unrelated to the alleged sexual assault.

It is believed the cruise ship docked in Brisbane today.

Police have praised P&O crew for quickly notifying police and assisting the investigation.

However, the claim will further tarnish P&O's reputation following the death of 42-year-old mother of three Dianne Brimble in 2002.

She died naked on the floor of a cabin on the Pacific Sky.

An inquest into Mrs Brimble's death has been ongoing in Sydney over several months before NSW Deputy State Coroner Jacqueline Milledge.

(Sydney Morning Herald)

Ocean Angel · 01-27-2007, 01:27 PM

A TEENAGE girl has alleged she was raped aboard a P&O cruise ship, sparking a major police investigation.
Six detectives boarded the Pacific Star as it cruised along the Queensland coast on Friday after the girl, 16, said she was raped by a man in a cabin in front of two other men.
Passengers said the girl tried to jump overboard after the alleged attack, but was restrained by security guards.
Detectives took a New South Wales man, 23, off the ship in handcuffs when it docked in Brisbane yesterday and charged him with possession of ecstasy and amphetamines.
Police said he was one of the men in the cabin who witnessed the alleged attack.
"Police can confirm they have investigated allegations of a sexual assault of a teenage girl on board a P&O cruise vessel," a spokesman said.
"The investigation will continue but at this stage there is absolutely no evidence to charge anyone."
The alleged rape occurred after a boozy top-deck theme party on Wednesday night. Guests dressed in Hawaiian shirts and danced in conga lines into the early hours.
Witnesses said the girl was among several under-age drinkers and left the party with the man she later accused of rape.
The claims are the latest blow to P&O, whose reputation was severely damaged after Brisbane mother Dianne Brimble died on the floor of a Pacific Sky cabin after taking a mix of alcohol and the drug fantasy in 2002.
The company vowed to install security cameras and have drug sniffer dogs check all passengers.
Police sources said the latest claims initially involved three men.
"But allegations were not made against all three, only that three were there," the source said.
Brisbane detectives and forensic police met the Pacific Star at Portside Wharf at 7.30am yesterday.
Unmarked cars, a police wagon and forensic van were parked near the wharf. Forensic police also examined the cabin yesterday.
Passenger Darren Pont, 37, said detectives questioned him after security cameras recorded him sitting on the top deck with friends late on Wednesday night.
"(They asked) about rape, drugs on board, punch-ups," he told The Sunday Mail. "It was the worst trip I've had in my life."
Rumours had swept through the ship and most passengers disembarking yesterday said they had heard of the allegations.
One woman said: "The under-age kids were out drinking because it was a time they could party. Normally people were in the nightclub every night, but The Island (theme night) was open on deck, so it was easy to get a couple of drinks I would imagine."
Crew sealed off cabin 5029, where the rape allegedly occurred, and security officers stood guard at the door.
A Brisbane man staying on the same deck said the men in the cabin were not seen after Wednesday night.
"There were three young blokes in 5029 but when we got up on Thursday morning there was police tape over the door and a security guard outside," he said.
"We asked what happened but the guard wouldn't say.
"The mood on the ship was really bad and the captain stopped coming down to talk to the passengers.
"Everyone was talking about what had happened."
The passenger said the men had been drinking at Wednesday night's party.
"A lot of young people were at the party and became intoxicated," he said.
A Melbourne woman who went to the party said she saw security guards grab the girl in the early hours of Thursday morning.
"She was up on deck and very upset and tried to throw herself overboard," the woman said.
"Security guards grabbed her, pinned her down and she was crying on the deck."
A Melbourne woman who shared a table with the occupants of cabin 5029 said she last saw the men on Wednesday night.
"I became concerned when they stopped turning up for dinner, it was like they never existed," she said.
A P&O Cruises spokeswoman confirmed the company contacted police on Thursday morning.
"The boat was slowed so police could board," she said. "There was an alleged sexual assault and the matter is now with police."
The spokeswoman denied under-age passengers were served alcohol but confirmed a male passenger was put off the ship for tampering with safety equipment.
Terry Ody, 37, from New Zealand, was staying several doors down from cabin 5029.
"We saw the captain and the first officers and a few other people in P&O gear bagging clothes and taking pictures," he said.
Another passenger said the first sign of trouble came when the ship neared land on Friday morning.
"We weren't supposed to see land yesterday, but we did, and the next minute there was a police boat there," he said.
The passenger had also been told "two blokes got into a fight" early in the trip and had to be locked up.
"I think they got thrown off when we stopped off at one of the islands," he said.
One young passenger, Alex, 13, talked to the girl after she made the allegations.
"She had band-aids on from blood tests. I just asked how she was going and she said she was pretty fine."
His brother, Chris, 15, said the girl was constantly escorted by security guards.
"I saw her the morning after it happened. She was just trying to get away from the security guards, running away, trying to hide," he said.
The police spokesman said customs officers had taken six detectives from the State Crime branch to the ship when it neared Gladstone about noon Friday.
"As a result of the investigation, detectives have arrested and charged a 23-year-old NSW man with possession of a dangerous drug," the spokesman said.
"Police have praised P&O crew for their prompt action in notifying police and the manner in which they have handled the incident."
The Pacific Star was yesterday immediately loaded for a seven-day return cruise to Noumea and Vanuatu.
Brett Avey, from Maryborough, among the hundreds of passengers waiting to board, said: "I'm with my partner and my daughter. I won't be letting my daughter out of my sight."

Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/source...ouriermail.gif

**Ally** · 01-28-2007, 10:52 AM

**Update**

'No evidence' of sex assault'

POLICE have completed investigations into the rape of a teenage girl on a P&O cruise ship, citing that there was not enough evidence to charge anyone.

The 16-year-old girl claimed she was raped by a man in a cabin in front of two other men after a Hawaii-themed party last Wednesday night.

Six detectives boarded the Pacific Star at Gladstone on Friday night, but found no evidence of a sexual assault.

They arrested and charged a 23-year-old New South Wales man with possession of a dangerous drug.

Police took the man into custody when the cruise liner docked in Brisbane on Saturday.

The Pacific Star has since reboarded and left for a tour of the South Pacific.

(Australian Daily Telegraph)