Woman Claims Ladies Room Attack on Cruise

(CN) - A passenger on a Carnival Cruise ship says in a lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by a rotund woman while using a ladies' room on the vessel, and the ship's staff did nothing to apprehend her attacker.

In a complaint filed in Miami Federal Court on July 31, the unidentified woman says she was enjoying an evening at the piano lounge aboard Carnival Corporation's M/S/ Carnival Magic in early May 2014, when she needed to use the ladies' room.

While in it, she says, she was accosted by a short black woman who weighed at least 200 pounds. According to the plaintiff, the defendant, who was wearing a leopard print shirt, slammed her against the hand drier and forced her to perform sexual acts.

The "plaintiff was in shock and fear for her life during this ordeal," the complaint says.

Eventually, the woman says, she was able to free herself and run out of the restroom.

The plaintiff says she reported the incident to ship authorities the same night but nothing was done to identify or apprehend the attacker despite the vivid description she gave them.

Shipboard personnel showed plaintiff pictures of passengers, but none of the photographs were of a black woman, the complaint says.

The plaintiff says she suffered both physical injuries and emotional distress due to the attack, and has since suffered from depression and anxiety attacks that have required required medical treatment.

She seeks compensatory damages on claims that Carnival Corporation was negligent in the operation of its vessel and failed to take adequate steps to ensure its passengers were safe.

The complaint also alleges that defendant breached its duty by "creating an unsafe condition of feeding high amounts of alcohol to its passengers at defendant's restaurants, lounges and bars"

The plaintiff is represented by Karina Cerda Collazo of Brais and Associates in Miami, Fla.

Representatives of Carnival Corporation could not immediately be reached for comment.

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