A Vermont family is suing Disney Cruise Line for $20 million, alleging that their toddler was sexually assaulted by another child who was a passenger aboard a cruise ship last year.
According to the complaint filed Wednesday in federal court in the Middle District of Florida, the parents allege that their 3-year-old daughter was enrolled in the ship’s youth club on Jan. 9, 2020, when she was sexually assaulted by another child.
The complaint details that at some point during the cruise, the toddler was in the Lab Media Lounge with other children between the ages of 3-12.
The complaint states that while the child was in the lounge, the 3-year-old was “physically restrained and sexually assaulted by a significantly older child, who was also a passenger on the cruise.”
The complaint alleges that the toddler was “excessively groped and sexually touched in her private parts” by the older child and “did not have the physical capability” to get the older child off her.
The lawsuit also states that several Disney crew members entered the room during the alleged assault but “failed to recognize and/or appreciate the ongoing sexual assault” even though it happened “in plain view.”
In a statement to the Miami Herald, the attorney for the family, Michael Winkleman, said that the alleged assault continued for 20 minutes while the toddler was “under the direct ‘supervision’ of Disney employees whose singular job is to oversee these children.”
“The victim’s parents filed this case in order to seek justice and accountability and to raise awareness about the hidden dangers of sexual assaults on cruise ships,” he continued.
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