Cruise Ship Rape Case Begins In Nassau Court

The man, Ruel Ellis Lockwood, has been at Her Majesty’s Prison since March of this year waiting for his day in court.

On Monday, a five-man, seven-woman jury was empanelled and sworn in.

They heard the testimony of two 20-year-old Florida State University (FSU) students, part of a group of six students who reportedly came to The Bahamas on a cruise for a quick spring getaway.

Answering questions directed to her by prosecutor Calvin Seymour, the alleged rape victim testified before Justice Cheryl Albury on Monday that on March 7, 2007 Lockwood – a Nicaraguan citizen and former Sovereign of the Seas employee – forced himself on her, while she was asleep in a friend’s cabin.

The Florida resident said on Monday that she arrived in the Port of Nassau, earlier that morning and shopped at the Straw Market that afternoon.

The witness testified that after dropping off her packages at the cruise ship and enjoying a few drinks at Senor Frogs in downtown Nassau, she went to dinner with several of her friends.

After dinner, she said she returned to the cabin with three of her friends and immediately went to sleep.

The FSU student told the court she had no recollection of what happened between that time and when she awoke to discover she was naked from the waist down and Lockwood was on top of her and had penetrated her.

The 20-year-old testified she then pushed Lockwood off her and then he crouched on the floor in the corner of the room with his knees pressed to his chest.

The alleged victim said she then attempted to wake the remaining friend she found asleep on the bed next to her. She said she nudged her friend and called her name, but she did not wake up.

The university student also told the court that she then put on her bikini bottom and left the room in an attempt to reach her friends who occupied the cabin next door, but after knocking on the door and calling their names, she received no reply.

The alleged victim said she then realized Lockwood was in the hallway standing next to her, telling her that her friends were asleep and they were not going to wake up.

She said she ignored Lockwood and continued to knock to no avail. Upon returning to the cabin where she had fallen asleep, the woman said she then explained to the friend whom she had tried to wake earlier what had transpired.

That’s when the two called two more friends by telephone who came to the cabin, according to court testimony.

Eventually, the ship’s security officers were called, written statements were taken and the Royal Bahamas Police Force was called.

Three of those females interviewed took the witness stand Monday.

Two of them said that police took the alleged victim to the Princess Margaret Hospital for a physical examination and then to a police station to file a formal report.

Testimony is expected to continue today, with detectives from the Central Detective Unit of the police force, who investigated the case, expected to take the stand.