Luxury cruise liner steward raped woman passenger on trip out of Southampton, court hears

Published: 09:06 EDT, 7 November 2026 | Updated: 09:06 EDT, 7 November 2026 A woman was raped in her cabin aboard Cunard's newest luxury cruise liner as it sailed between Scotland and Iceland, a court heard.The passenger accused a male steward of attacking her aboard the Queen Anne during a cruise from Southampton.The alleged rape took place on August 13 last year, while the 1,058ft ship was travelling through international waters.Filipino crew member Arvie Oporto, who worked as a cabin steward, was accused of carrying out the attack.The ship's captain, Inger Thorhauge, was informed of the woman's complaint by staff at around 7.30pm that evening.Oporto was arrested four days later when the liner returned to Southampton.The allegation was made in a High Court judgment following a legal battle over whether the steward can be sent to Bermuda to face trial.Oporto has previously denied the allegation. The Cunard cruise liner Queen Anne travel along the Mersey for her fourth visit to LiverpoolThe court papers do not disclose the woman's age or nationality, or explain how the steward allegedly came to be in her cabin.Queen Anne entered service in 2024 as the newest addition to Cunard's fleet of four luxury liners.The 113,000-gross-ton ship can carry almost 3,000 passengers and 1,225 crew.Its facilities include lavish suites, swimming pools, restaurants, a ballroom and a three-storey grand lobby.Although the cruise departed from Britain, the alleged rape has become the subject of an extradition battle involving the Government of Bermuda.Queen Anne is registered in the British Overseas Territory, meaning its authorities can prosecute certain crimes allegedly committed by crew members, even when the ship is thousands of miles away.Bermuda wants Oporto extradited to stand trial for sexual assault, the charge covering the alleged rape under its laws.He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.But Oporto challenged the request, arguing that the alleged attack did not qualify as an extradition offence under British law.In May, Senior District Judge Goldspring ruled in his favour at Westminster Magistrates' Court and ordered his discharge.Bermuda appealed, taking the case to the High Court in London.Lady Justice Andrews and Mr Justice Bourne have now overturned the decision, finding that the magistrate had applied the wrong legal test.They said he had been sidetracked by an 'unnecessary digression' into the meaning of the 'high seas'.The judges ruled that the alleged offence met the requirements of British extradition law.Their decision, handed down on Monday, means the case can proceed towards a final extradition decision by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.Oporto was initially remanded in custody following his arrest but was granted conditional bail in April.He remained on bail at the time of the High Court ruling. The judges made no findings about whether the alleged rape took place.