A woman says she was sexually assaulted by a server on an MSC Cruise.
The plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, filed her complaint in federal court against MSC Cruises S.A. and MSC Cruise Management (UK) Limited.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff was a passenger on the MSC Meraviglia in the early morning hours of March 5, 2023, when she and her cousin went to the onboard casino after eating dinner in a classic dining room. Shortly after her cousin went back to their cabin, the plaintiff says she received a call from the cousin worried because someone had followed her back to the cabin.
When the plaintiff went to the cabin to check on her cousin, she says she found crew member Pitam, who said he had seen the cousin and went to her stateroom because staff is not supposed to fraternize with guests. She says Pitam aggressively tried to get her and her cousin to drink alcohol. The plaintiff says she accepted a glass of wine but didn't drink it.
When her cousin went to the restroom, Doe says Pitam "saw his opportunity" and began to sexually assault the plaintiff.
"Pitam forcefully grabbed Doe by the arms and licked her face," the complaint states. "Pitam aggressively threw Doe on the bed. Doe frantically tried to push crew member Pitam off of her but was unsuccessful. Crew member Pitam got on top of Doe and began undoing his belt.
"Throughout the physical struggle, crew member Pitam was continuously licking Doe's face and trying to undress her."
Doe says she screamed and yelled for Pitam to get off of her until her cousin finally heard her and rushed into the room. The plaintiff says she escaped and ran into the hallway for help. She was Pitam then pushed her against the hall wall and threatened her into silence, saying he would come back if the plaintiff reported him.
The plaintiff blames MSC for the incident and seeks compensatory damages as well as interest, court costs, attorney fees and other relief.