The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) has called on marine underwriters to take a more proactive role in addressing the prevalence of sexual misconduct toward women, even though they are not directly involved in vessel operations.
“Marine insurers have a responsibility to do all they can to raise awareness of sexual misconduct at sea and to join the effort to eradicate it completely,” said Charles Fernandez, chair of the IUMI Legal and Liability Committee, in the IUMI Singapore 2025 conference on Monday, 8 September.
Women account for only 1% of global seafarers, yet according to the IUMI, about 25% have reported experiencing physical or sexual assault. Many cases also remain unreported due to concerns over reputation, career prospects, or doubts that their complaints will be treated seriously.
“Sadly, almost all women in maritime have experienced some form of sexual misconduct at sea, ranging from unconscious bias to full-scale assault,” Fernandez said, emphasising that such behaviour is unacceptable and must be stopped.
The fragmented legal landscape, however, poses a challenge for dealing with sexual misconduct cases. While some apply the law of the flag state of the vessel, others follow the jurisdiction of the country or location where the harm is suffered.
“This inconsistency can make pursuing justice complex and intimidating for victims,” IUMI stressed.
It further stated that shipowners maintain a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment, noting that they could be held liable, especially “if there is evidence they were aware of a perpetrator’s previous history.”
According to the IUMI, there have been recent high-profile cases in which victims obtained significant compensation from liability insurers.
Notably, the US Department of Justice filed criminal charges in June against former ship captain John Merrone, alleging that he drugged and sexually assaulted a cadet from the US Merchant Marine Academy while on an American-flagged cargo ship back in 2022.
