Warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual violence.
(NewsNation) — What was supposed to be a fun trip to the Bahamas turned into a nightmare for two Kentucky women. They claim they were drugged and raped, and treated like criminals by the authorities who reported the assaults.
Amber Shearer and Donguilla Dobson are sharing their story to seek justice and warn others about the dangers of travel. They allege they were assaulted Sunday after a stop on Grand Bahama Island during a Carnival cruise.
“I want people to be safe. Two is not enough. Dongaila and I thought we would protect each other and be safe as best friends, but that's not enough,” Shearer said. said on Wednesday's program “CUOMO.”
After disembarking the cruise ship, the women took a taxi to a local resort, where they claim their cocktails were laced with drugs by staff.
“Within a few drinks into my second drink, I knew something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong,” Shearer said.
After drinking cocktails, the pair began searching for shells on the beach, when a male resort staff member approached them and told them he knew a good spot to find shells. The next thing Shearer remembers was waking up during the attack.
“I regained consciousness during the rape process,” she said.
“We were conscious enough to know, or conscious enough to know, that they were in uniform,” Dobson added.
Two women are angry with local authorities for not giving them proper sexual assault test kits and treating them as if they were criminals when they reported the assaults. Toxicology results showed that benzodiazepines, among other drugs, were present in trace amounts in the body.
“Seeing what I saw on my (toxicology) screen was all over again traumatic,” Dobson said.
Two men have been arrested in connection with the assault, according to a news release posted on Facebook by the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Investigation is ongoing.
They also say they received no help from U.S. authorities to investigate the assault.
WLEX-TV reports that the women are now back in the state and undergoing treatment, including HIV prevention drugs that cost nearly $4,000.
The attack comes as the U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory for the Bahamas, urging Americans to use “extreme caution” due to the crime.
Women are sharing their stories in hopes of helping prevent future attacks.
“Our cruise line has not informed us of any travel advisories, so we need to be careful,” Shearer said. “We had no idea what was going on in the Bahamas.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.
