Reports of rape and sexual assault are rising on cruise lines and on trips taken with popular ride-sharing companies, according to new federal data and a class-action lawsuit that was filed this week.
»FROM 2018: Alleged assaults by Uber, Lyft drivers in metro Atlanta
In the lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court on Wednesday, 19 women and one man accuse Lyft of being “a haven for sexual predators,” claiming its drivers raped or sexually assaulted them, and that the ride-sharing company ignored their complaints about the crimes.
The victims held a news conference Wednesday to announce the lawsuit.
Elsewhere, cruise lines sailing from U.S. ports have reported 35 sexual assaults in the third quarter of this year, which is a 67% increase over the same period in 2018, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.
The federal Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act requires cruise lines embarking and disembarking in the U.S. to report crimes that happen at sea.
The data shows there were 79 reported allegations of sexual assault on cruise ships through the first nine months of 2019, up from 60 during the same period in both 2018 and 2017.
Between July 1 to September 30 this year, 27 sexual assaults were allegedly committed by passengers, another five by crew members and three by other people, the data shows.
Seventy-six percent of the reported sexual assault allegations from this year through September involved passengers.
Most of the reported incidents in the third quarter of this year occurred on Carnival cruise lines, which had 20 alleged assaults — 17 allegedly by passengers, one by a crew member and two by other people, according to CNN. Royal Caribbean had eight reports of sexual assault — four by passengers, three by crew and one by someone else.
Meanwhile, the lawsuit against Lyft, which seeks unspecified damages, comes after a similar complaint was filed in September by 14 women who also used the service in different cities across the country.
»FROM MARCH: Ex-Lyft driver sentenced to 35 years for raping Cobb woman on ride home
Lawyers in the San Francisco case allege Lyft hires its drivers without conducting sufficient background checks. The suit also accuses the company of blocking police efforts to investigate the crimes.
“This company is harming thousands of women,” Mike Bomberger, a San Diego attorney who filed the suit, told the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. “This platform attracts predators.”
»FROM JUNE: Lyft driver in Arizona accused of sexually assaulting passenger
Lyft has responded to the allegations, saying the company is continuously working to improve safety.
“What these women describe is something no one should ever have to endure. Everyone deserves the ability to move about the world safely, yet women still face disproportionate risks," a spokesperson said. "We recognize these risks, which is why we are relentless in our work to build safety into every aspect of our work. That means continually investing in new features and policies to protect our riders and drivers.”
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