Kentucky women raped in Bahamas warn others of travel dangers

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WARNING: This story includes descriptions of sexual violence.

(NewsNation) — What was supposed to be a fun trip to the Bahamas turned into a nightmare for two Kentucky women who say they were drugged and raped — then treated like criminals by authorities when they reported the assaults.

Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson are sharing their story to demand justice and warn others about the dangers of traveling. They say they were assaulted Sunday after they made a stop on Grand Bahama during a Carnival cruise.

“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 Wednesday on “CUOMO.”

The women took a taxi to a local resort after disembarking the cruise ship and say their cocktails were drugged by staff members.

“Less than a few drinks into the second drink, we knew something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong,” Shearer said.

After drinking the cocktails, the pair had set out to look for seashells on the beach when they say they were approached by a male resort staff member who told them he knew a good place to find shells. The next thing Shearer remembers is waking up in the middle of the attack.

“I came to in the process of my rape,” she said.

“We were just conscious enough to have, or just aware enough, to know that they were in uniforms,” Dobson added.

The two women are angry with local authorities, who they say didn’t administer proper sexual assault test kits and viewed them as though they were criminals when they reported the assaults. Toxicology results showed traces of benzodiazepines, among other drugs, in their systems.

“To see the things that showed up on my (toxicology) screen was just traumatizing all over again,” Dobson said.

A news release posted on Facebook by the Royal Bahamas Police indicates two men were arrested in connection with the assaults. The investigation is ongoing.

They also say they have not been able to get any help from U.S. authorities to look into the assaults.

Now back in the states, the women are receiving medical care including HIV prevention medication that costs nearly $4,000, WLEX-TV reported.

The attack comes as the U.S. State Department increased its travel advisory level for the Bahamas last month, telling Americans to use “increased caution” due to crime.

“The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands,” the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs said in the latest Travel Advisory. “In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the ‘Over the Hill’ area (south of Shirley Street)  where gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily affecting the local population.” 

The women are sharing their stories in hopes that they can help prevent future attacks.

“You need to be aware because our cruise line did not make us aware of a travel advisory,” Shearer said. “We had no idea what was going on in the Bahamas.”

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.