LANCASTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — Two Central Kentucky women are demanding justice and warning others after surviving alleged sexual assaults on a beach in the Bahamas on Sunday.
Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson are now back home after what was meant to be a dream vacation ended in a nightmare.
Shearer and Dobson told LEX 18 they made a stop on Grand Bahama during a Carnival cruise over the weekend.
After taking a taxi to a local resort in Freeport, they allege their cocktails were drugged and resort staff members sexually assaulted them.
Shearer and Dobson shared photos of preliminary drug tests that showed positive results for benzodiazepines, among other drugs. The women also have bruising up and down their legs.
The pair is disappointed with Bahamian police after they claim they failed to give the pair proper rape kits. They said they later received care while back on board the cruise ship and are waiting to speak with American law enforcement.
A press release shared to Facebook by Royal Bahamas Police confirmed two men were arrested early Sunday for alleged sexual assault of two women, and that an investigation is underway.
"We want justice for what happened to us. We want to raise awareness for others," Shearer wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
The U.S. Department of State issued a "level 2" travel advisory for the Bahamas on Jan. 26 due to crime in the country. The department credits violent crime, including armed robberies and sexual assaults in both tourist and non-tourist areas.
“We didn’t know there was a travel advisory until four hours after we were raped,” the women said, adding they were never made aware of the advisory before the trip.
The pair is now receiving medical care at home, which includes thousands of dollars of preventative care, including HIV prevention medication which costs nearly $4,000.
Despite the traumatic event, the women are hoping to do whatever they can to prevent someone else from falling victim to violence in the area. They said they want to bring awareness of the issue to others who plan on traveling.
“Be safe. Two is not a group. Do not buy any drinks that come unless they come in a sealed container, in a bottle,” they said.
The women are now looking for legal representation to take action against the resort and the men responsible.
