Reports: KY women raise awareness on travel safety after sexual assaults on vacation
Two Kentucky women were sexually assaulted during a vacation in the Bahamas and are now raising awareness of being safe while traveling last weekend, according to police and reports from media outlets.
The assault came amid official warnings from federal authorities regarding travel to the Bahamas — that area is under a Level 2 travel advisory due to violent crime, according to the U.S. Department of State.
LEX 18 reported the women, Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson, were on a Carnival cruise and made a stop on Grand Bahama. While there, the two took a taxi to a resort in Freeport and had cocktails that were spiked with drugs, according to multiple media reports.
Resort staff members assaulted the women, according to LEX 18. On Sunday the Royal Bahamas Police Force confirmed two suspects, a a 54-year-old man and a 40-year-old man were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two women.
“Preliminary reports indicate that the incident occurred shortly after 12:00 noon, while the females were visting a beach in Central Grand Bahama,” The Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a news release. “Active police investigations continue into this matter.”
Preliminary drug tests for Shearer and Dobson showed positive results for benzodiazepines, among other drugs, LEX 18 reported. Benzodiazepines are a depressant drug that produce sedation and hypnosis, according to the DEA.
Overdose effects for the drug include extreme drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, decreased reflexes, respiratory depression, coma and possible death, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The women alleged the police force didn’t administer proper sexual assault test kits, according to an interview with NewsNation on Chris Cuomo’s show “CUOMO.” LEX 18 reported they were receiving medical care at home, which includes preventative care that costs nearly $4,000.
“I want people to be safe. Two’s not enough. Dongayla and I thought as best friends … that we could protect each other and to be safe, and it’s just not enough,” Shearer said during an appearance on “CUOMO.”
The U.S. Department of State issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas on Jan. 26 due to violent crime, including burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assaults. The department advises tourists to take increased precaution during a Level 2 advisory and be vigilant when staying at vacation rental properties where there are no private security companies.
The department said a majority of the crime happens in New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands. The violent incidents are taking place in tourist and non-tourist locations, the U.S. State Department says. There’s also a high homicide rate in the “Over the Hill” area of Nassau due to gang violence.
Shearer and Dobson weren’t aware of the advisory during their trip, according to LEX 18.
A GoFundMe page was created to ease the financial strain for, such as medical and counseling bills. The page has the goal of raising $10,000.
Frankie King, the creator of the page and a father to one of the women, described the situation as “every parent’s worst nightmare.” He added the women can’t go to work or leave the house without an escort due to trauma from the incident.
“These girls were just trying to enjoy a well deserved girls week end which turn into a nightmare, leaving them with psychological trauma,” King wrote in the GoFundMe page.
Shearer and Dobson are childhood friends and grew up in Danville, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
This story was originally published February 9, 2024 at 8:04 AM.
