Victorian man held prisoner on Fiji cruise ship after making ‘verbal threat to jump overboard’

EXCLUSIVE: A man has been held prisoner in a small cruise ship room with no natural light, fresh air or ­facilities for three nights after he “made a verbal threat to jump overboard”.

A Victorian man is being held prisoner in a small cruise ship room with no natural light, fresh air or ­facilities after he “made a verbal threat to jump overboard”. Generic picture: ThinkStock

EXCLUSIVE: A Victorian man kept prisoner on a ship has seen his Christmas cruise turn into a holiday from hell.

The man is on a cruise to Fiji with his partner but is being kept prisoner in a small room with no natural light, fresh air or toilet.

The man has been told he will not be released and must either fly back to Sydney today or stay locked up until December 29 when the ship returns to Australia.

His partner has told the Herald Sun she has been allowed only minimial contact with her partner.

“I’m really worried about him,” she said. “He is becoming confused, I had to continually reorient him and he kept asking me the same questions over and over.

“He has been there 4 nights now. In that time he has been allowed only one shower, one brief glance out a small window, has not been given any clean bed sheets, is having to urinate in a plastic bottle, and meals are all being delivered to him cold.”

The woman said the nightmare ordeal had ruined the Christmas cruise.

“He has no facilities in his cell, no natural light, no fresh air and nothing to do. He is not allowed out for daily exercise. Security even refused to allow me to take a book for him to read.

“They are refusing to release him despite the fact he has not committed any offence and is not presenting as a risk to himself or anybody else.”

The woman, a mental health professional, said on the second night of the cruise her partner had consumed three alcoholic drinks that reacted badly with some new medication.

“In anger he made a verbal threat to jump overboard. He had no intention to do so however I asked security for help because I was scared he could be impulsive,” she said.

“It was reasonable to keep him in the brig overnight until his mental state was stable. Since that night there have been no further issues but they are refusing to release him.

“I’m extremely concerned about the conditions they are keeping him in with no justification.

“I’ve been a mental health professional for many years and believe this is inhumane and a serious breach of human rights.”

A Carnival Cruise Line spokesman said for reasons of passenger privacy and confidentiality the company could not comment on individual passengers.

“In general terms not related specifically to this matter, the safety and security of our guests and crew is our number one priority,” he said.

“We have a responsibility to act where there is a concern for the welfare of a guest such as a risk of self harm.

“As a general principle, confinement onboard in a safe environment is a rare step but only ever taken to safeguard a passenger in extreme circumstances prior to disembarkation under appropriate supervision at the next available port.”

[e-mail]