Diane Rosse
Cruise Bruise Date: January 27, 1987
Cruise Bruise: Assault
Bruise Location: South Pacific
Age: 20
Home Town: New South Wales, Australia
Cruise Line: P & O Cruise Lines
Ship:
Details:
Like the late Dianne Brimble, I was incredibly excited to be going on, what I believed, was to be a holiday of a life- time on board the P & O vessel. After our luggage was searched by sniffer dogs, we boarded the cruise shortly after a 'happy snap' was taken of us embarking. The party started soon after, even before we left Sydney.
Passengers gathered around merrily, identifying themselves and waving frantically to our envious friends, seeing us off. There was a sense of 'safety' on board, afterall, passengers had to pass through Customs, so presumably people's identity was verifiable and the commerardery was palatable.
I was a 28 year old woman, travelling with some family members. I felt safe. However, within a day or two the true picture started to emerge. The images of drunken men with no manners violating women's boundaries was pretty hard to take.
It was as though some men felt that they had a sense of 'entitlement' - like it was some sort of floating brothel except you got the sex for free IF you played your cards right! I thought, this has to get better.. But the drunkenss continued and I just tried to make the most of it all. My friends and I were staying on the top first-class deck.
It was marvelous, no port hole windows but huge windows embracing the most awesome views. One night one of the Captains even sleezed on to me. You guessed it, he was drunk!
The security guards were absolutely abhorent. They were only token security guards spending most of their time drinking, partying and in and out of female passengers beds. I often wondered whether women were subject to co-ercision at the hands of persistent men who perhaps plighed them with alcohol or worse...
Towards the end of our voyage things changed. Suddenly I didn't feel safe anymore. My cousin had been punched in the face in a completely unprovoked attack that left his nose broken. He was admitted to the ships doctor's surgery and the offender taken into a holding cell. It was not known why he punched my cousin in a completely unprovoked attack. I will never forget the aftermouth.
My friends and I felt extremely vulnerable because we reported an assault. I think we felt vulnerable because we felt that the P & O staff were reluctant to help us by providing witness statements and assisting us to bring the offender to justice. Infact one of the female passengers was also reluctant to help us in spite of witnessing the assault because the offender was an acquaintance of hers. Her indifference was appalling. It made me ashamed to be a woman. I was conscious that the sisterhood had dissolved. We didn't know who to trust anymore - everybody seemed to be out for themselves!
We were suddenly paranoid that we may somehow end up becoming victims of some elaborate set-up. What if someone entered our cabin and planted drugs in our luggage? For some reason, the wildest thoughts crossed our minds because we realised how vulnerable we were being stuck in International Waters in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of largely hostile and unsupportive staff members.
We didn't like the majority of the security staff. They seemed to be nothing short of casanova type thugs! We felt very vulnerable and didn't know who to trust. When we got to Sydney, the unthinkable happened. The offender was the first one to be let off the boat. How can this be? What about assault charges? What about Police attending the crime scene? How the hell could they release a 'criminal' and not make him accountable for a violent assault and for ruining any good memories of the cruise ship we may have had. We then went to the Rocks Police Station and made a statement, later my cousin recovering his medical expenses.
It always infuriated me how P&O had neglected their duty of care. This is obviously no comparison to what happened to the late Dianne Brimble but my heart bleeds when I read about the fate she suffered. The poor lady was just like me, vibrant, friendly and trusting. How could she have known that these apparent predators were 'grooming' her for their abhorent sexual gratification.
She was on holidays and all the passengers had gone through customs and were verifiable. There was no need for her to feel unsafe - everybody had been checked through and authenticated... When I saw pictures of the cabin where her body was found, my heart cries in pain. Although we stayed on the top deck, my cousin stayed in a cabin not too dissimilar to the one where Ms Brimble lay... It was creepy down there, I hated it. I felt incredibly claustrophobic - it was the total opposite to our huge suite with ensuite and windows galore. Also, I hated going down to the lower levels because you could hear the sound of the engines and it was hot. I never went to the laundry area because I felt spooked down there. It was very errie.
The only place I felt completely safe was in the dinning area and in the main club lounge. I did not even feel safe in the disco. It was all alcohol - and the security guards were just as bad, if not a lot worse than some of the male passengers. It all seemed quite threatening when you looked closely at the scene. All I know is, I will never go on another P&O cruise ship again.
What happened to Dianne Brimble was a waiting disaster. The poor lady had no hope and the cruise ship should also bear the responsibility of being negligent as should customs for not inspecting the bags of those 'persons of interest'.
This story continues on Page 2. See the links below
Diane Rosse Case Details: 1 2
Cruise Ship Assault
Diane Rosse - Party Assaulted
P & O Cruise Lines - January 27, 1987
