A boat captain allegedly drugged two students at sea and raped one of them

() — A cargo ship was sailing the Atlantic Ocean when the captain called two young cadets from the United States Merchant Marine Academy to his room and gave them each a drink.

Soon after, the students began to feel that something was wrong.

Their boss had unknowingly tampered with their drinks, according to an undisclosed complaint filed by the US Coast Guard. Once incapacitated, the captain raped one cadet and attempted to sexually assault the other, the Coast Guard alleges.

The complaint, filed in August and obtained by through a records request, alleges that Capt. John Merrone’s conduct was egregious enough to have his merchant seaman’s credential revoked, so he can no longer work in the sea.

The Coast Guard is responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct on board ships and can seek to discipline sailors and take away the credentials they need to work on ships for a range of offenses, from drug and alcohol use to The agression. But agency records show that attempts to decrement Sailors for sexual misconduct are rare and slow in coming.

The Coast Guard said in a statement that it launched its latest investigation as soon as it learned of the cadets’ allegations in 2021. It said the agency’s criminal investigations arm also conducted two separate investigations, but they are not being pursued. by the Department of Justice and are closed. The Justice Department had no comment.

Merrone and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment. Merrone denied the allegations in a filing with the Coast Guard.

Merrone’s case comes at a time when the US Merchant Marine Academy and the maritime industry are already facing intense scrutiny over rampant sexual harassment and abuse that students say they have suffered while working and They trained in the sea.

Last year, a student at the academy posted an explosive blog in which she said she had been raped by her supervisor during the school’s mandatory Year of the Sea training programme.

About a decade ago, Captain John Merrone was charged with rape and sentenced to prison for assault and false imprisonment. His conviction was later overturned in an appeal court.

These allegations sparked outrage in the maritime industry, prompting further reforms and encouraging other alleged victims of sexual assault at sea to come forward. Another student reported in June that she was repeatedly harassed and groped by older male crew members and that she was so terrified of being sexually assaulted that she slept in a locked bathroom, clutching a knife to protect herself from it. .

Amid the controversy, a investigation earlier this year found that federal academy policies have created significant obstacles to the reporting and investigation of alleged assaults, and that a culture of fear has prevented victims from asking responsibilities.

Although the Coast Guard complaint did not name the academy Merrone’s two alleged victims attended, the agency told they were students at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips said in a statement that a culture change is “urgently needed” and that the agency has continued to strengthen student protections. The agency pointed out the new safety regulations that shipping companies must comply with in order to transport students from the academy during their training program.

does not include the name of the company, the date of the incident, or other specific details of the complaint that may inadvertently identify the alleged victims.

This is not the first time that Merrone has been accused of rape. Back in 2011, a woman arrived at a hospital bruised and beaten, saying he had raped her in her Florida Keys apartment, according to criminal court records that included testimony from the nurse who examined her.

Merrone was quickly arrested and sentenced by a jury to two years in prison for false imprisonment and assault, but his conviction was later overturned in an appeals court. The Coast Guard told that he was unaware of the conviction until it was overturned two years later, so no action was taken against his credential.

For now, Merrone retains his merchant seaman’s credential as the case proceeds. This allows him to browse freely, as he has done since the alleged incident occurred.

An executive at the shipping company that employed Merrone told that Merrone left in 2021 and said his departure was not related to the allegations being made. The official said that the company had not received any allegations of sexual assault or harassment against Merrone while he was employed and that, although he had cooperated with a US Coast Guard investigation, the company had never received details that the matter had to do with an alleged sexual assault.

The company said was the first to provide details of Merrone’s alleged misconduct and that it would work closely with law enforcement and had launched an internal investigation into the “disturbing allegations.”