When a crime occurs on board a passenger ship in international waters, it is difficult to establish with certainty who has jurisdiction to investigate it. Each country has its maritime laws: in Spain, European regulations regarding safety and on-board police apply. The captain is in charge of maintaining order inside the ship , he can investigate what happened, identify the alleged offender, prevent him from disembarking or embarking and restricting access to certain parts of the ship.On his arrival at port he must notify the port authority that in turn, he will contact the police and the court.
But nothing is simple when a crime is committed on a ship. It must be taken into account that the country where the ship is registered (the flag of the ship) and the nationalities of the victim and the aggressor will determine the rules that are applicable and who are in charge of investigating and prosecuting this type of crime on land. . The Spanish National Court has already determined that it does not investigate crimes committed by foreigners in international waters unless it is proven that the ship has a Spanish flag.
US citizens aboard cruise ships have the right to call the FBI, police or embassy of their country free of charge from the ship to initiate the investigation. But if you are not North American and you are on board a ship with the US flag (something that is frequent, since they control more than 80% of the cruise market), the investigation on land is entirely in charge of the authorities of the country. where the ship is registered. And who is claimed in that case? The best thing is to turn to an expert lawyer in maritime law because any legal action can be lost in an administrative limbo capable of ending the patience of the most spirited.
If you like crime stories on board, Netflix’s Alta Mar is your series: it consists of eight episodes, set in the 40s and its main setting will be a luxury liner of the time . Who will solve in fiction the murder of a passenger whom no one remembers?
Do you want to know more secrets and mysteries on the high seas? Discover them here.
