Disney Cruise Line is being sued by Vermont parents who claim that another passenger sexually abused their 3-year-old daughter while on the ship, and that the staff did not intervene.
The complaint listed five counts of negligence that resulted in the alleged sexual assault of the 3-year-old. The Magical Cruise Company’s Registered Agent, Margaret Giacalone, was issued a summons to appear in court as a result of the lawsuit, WFLA reported.
The court filings do not identify the couple, but their lawsuit is seeking $20 million in damages for the incident which they said occurred in 2020.
The parents said their daughter was physically restrained and sexually assaulted by a 12-year-old passenger in the cruise’s Youth Club’s Lab Media Lounge. The Youth Club is only offered to passengers between 3 and 12
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The lawsuit said the incident took place on Jan. 9, 2020, during their seven-day trip from Jan. 4 to Jan. 11, 2020. The 3-year-old victim is identified in the court filing as 'R.V.' It claims R.V. was in the care of the Disney Youth Club staff when the assault happened.
The parents of R.V. went on in the court filing to allege that the little girl “was excessively groped and sexually touched in her private parts by the older child and did not have the physical capability to break through the physical restraint” to stop what was happening.
The lawsuit goes on to allege that the employees for the cruise’s Youth Club “failed to recognize the sexual assault, and therefore, allowed the ongoing abuse suffered” to happen. It also said that the staff did not notify the parents of the assault.
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A spokesperson for Disney said, “This lawsuit is wholly without merit. The plaintiffs’ first allegations were reported to the FBI, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office investigated them and determined them to be unfounded. The plaintiffs have now come back with a different story, which is equally unfounded, that another young female child acted inappropriately with their child. We will vigorously defend this case in court.”
The five counts brought against Disney Cruise Line are negligence of sexual assault, negligent supervision, negligent mode of operation, negligent hiring and/or retention, and negligent failure to warn.
According to court records, the plaintiffs are demanding judgement for all damages recoverable under the law and demand a trial by jury, WFLA reported.
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