Cruise Ship Lawyers Blog
A man, 71, faces criminal charges after police say he grabbed a teenager while aboard a cruise ship off the Australian coast.
Jeffrey Mark Spiro, of New Zealand, was charged with deprivation of liberty and two counts of common assault.
The alleged incident happened on June 19 at around 11 p.m. aboard the ship where a 14-year-old girl was waiting near the elevators. Spiro allegedly grabbed the child and took her to the ship’s security office because he claimed she was running with a “small toiletry item,” according to reporting from cruise news sites. The item was later identified as a pair of tweezers.
There is no connection between the two of them and no injuries were reported, police said.
Spiro, who is allegedly a retired police officer, appeared Monday in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
In a statement, the cruise line said it is cooperating with authorities as the investigation continues and that they offered “support and counseling” to the minor who was involved.
“Our commitment to the safety and security of all our guests and team members is demonstrated through the implementation of various measures to assure that our ships are a welcoming, family-friendly place,” officials said.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners is a personal injury law firm with nearly five decades of experience litigating cruise ship injury cases. With a headquarters just a short drive from PortMiami, a location that has routinely been dubbed the cruising capital of the world, our attorneys have seen just about every injury that can occur at sea. From horrific slip and falls to delayed medical evacuations and crimes aboard ships. Our attorneys work diligently to secure the best possible outcome for every client and have obtained record results throughout Florida.
As common carriers, cruise ships have a nondelegable duty to ensure the safety and well-being of their passengers. This means ensuring that their decks and other common areas are clear of fall hazards and that they are safe for passengers. Cruise lines must also ensure they have the proper security on board to handle any criminal activity and that they have properly trained medical staff at the ready to treat any injuries or illnesses that may arise during a voyage.
In decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners has seen the many ways in which cruise lines have failed to provide this level of safety to our clients, resulting in severe injuries.
Previous Cruise Ship Crime Cases
Previously, Leesfield & Partners represented a Canadian woman who was traveling on a cruise ship when she was horrifically raped. The woman was in her cabin alone when a member of the ship’s crew abused his employee status and used a keycard to access the woman’s room where he attacked her.
The firm secured a multi-million-dollar amount for the woman in that case.
In an ongoing case being handled by Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II, another crewmember faced criminal charges for planting hidden cameras in the private cabins of several passengers filming both adults and children.
The crew member in that case was later sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, however, for many passengers, including our client, the nightmare is far from over. Reeling from this incident, our client has been left with severe emotional scarring due to the actions of this cruise ship’s employee.
Leesfield & Partners Promotes Family Safety
Over decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners has seen the cataclysmic effects that a lack of supervision and negligence can cause in the lives of families. The firm has represented numerous children and their families in devastating injury cases both at sea and on land.
Previously, the firm represented a family whose idyllic cruise ship vacation became a nightmare when their daughter, a 9-month-old baby, became ill on the ship. The doctors on board failed to diagnose her meningococcal meningitis, resulting in multi-digital and foot amputations.
Leesfield & Partners obtained a $5.5 million recovery for the family in that case.
The firm settled a 16-year-old’s medical malpractice case for $3 million after doctors failed to diagnose her stroke. Compounding matters, the doctors on the ship failed to evacuate the young girl.
The firm recovered $2.5 million for a boy who suffered a catastrophic brain injury while playing basketball on a cruise ship’s court and fell, hitting his head.
The firm also obtained a confidential settlement for the family of a young girl who got separated from her guardians while on board. When the child leaned over a faulty interior railing on the ship, she fell five stories to her death.
In addition to representing minors in various injury cases, Leesfield & Partners has supported numerous organizations dedicated to children’s issues. This was done via The Leesfield Family Foundation, the charitable organization of Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner. Through decades of dedication, the firm has supported the work of Kristi House, the Overtown Youth Center, Lawyers for Children America, The Underline, Live Like Bella and many others.
On land, the firm has tragically handled numerous instances of crimes that have taken place involving children. Recently, the firm settled a tragic sexual abuse case involving three clients who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a school and church official meant to ensure their well-being. Instead, this person abused their power and assaulted our clients.
That case settled for a confidential amount.
The firm obtained an $8.6 million recovery for a minor who was being sexually abused by a counselor at a well-known Florida summer camp. Instead of detecting odd behaviors that should have been obvious indicators to camp officials that something was wrong, they ignored these signs and allowed the abuse to continue.
A multi-million-dollar recovery was obtained for the male students of a teacher at a well-respected Florida high school after the school allowed this teacher access to the children, who he repeatedly sexually abused.
In a case involving an unaccompanied minor who was abused by a passenger on an airplane, Leesfield & Partners obtained a confidential settlement. The minor in that case was meant to be watched over by the airline’s flight attendants who failed to properly supervise and protect the child.
The firm obtained a $650,000 recovery in a case involving a youth center that failed to properly supervise the children in their care.
Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Evan Robinson, a Trial Attorney at the firm, recently filed a case involving a minor who was assaulted at a gym by a member with a known history of violent behavior.
“She lives in a constant state of fear that she may run into her assailant, and she’s haunted by flashbacks and nightmares,” he said. “No person should have to live like that — and especially not a child.”
That case is ongoing.
