By David Lohr
(Continued)
When Laurie woke up the following morning, she was terrified and uncertain what to do. Calling security did not seem a wise option, considering the man who allegedly raped her was working as a security job on the ship. So, Laurie told Michelle what had happened, and they decided to call the Purser's desk. Shortly thereafter, the head Purser and a security guard came to the girls' cabin.
"They sat on the bed, where the rape occurred," Laurie testified before the Subcommittee on Coastguard and Maritime Transportation in March 2007. "We told them what happened, but they insisted we prepare written statements and sign them. They left without taking either of us to the infirmary or securing the cabin. The security officer returned and told us we had to complete the statements before we could go to the doctor."
 |
| Laurie Dishman testifies |
According to Laurie, she was not taken to see the doctor until noon, roughly three hours after she had reported the incident.
"The security officer took us to the ship infirmary. The doctor told us to take two large garbage bags and go back to the cabin and collect evidence of the rape. Michelle and I went and gathered what we thought they needed. We tried to preserve hair and other evidence by carefully folding the sheets and the pillowcase and placing them in bags. It was horrible to do this. Michelle and I felt humiliated carrying the bags in the public hallways and into the elevator with the security officer watching us. When we returned to the infirmary, we watched as the nurses took everything out of the trash bags, unfolding the sheets in the process, and put everything into other bags. It was painful to watch this."
Next Page
Previous Page
For More Daily Crime News
default
increase
decrease
email
print