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Foreign Office asked to probe possible murder on Disney cruise
An MP is calling for the Foreign Office to investigate the disappearance of a British childminder from a Disney cruise ship amid fears she was murdered.
Chris Matheson, MP for Chester, has met with representatives from the Foreign Office after conducting his own research into the case on behalf of 24-year-old Rebecca Coriam’s family.
He told her local newspaper the Liverpool Echo that he was afraid she might have been murdered.
Miss Coriam went missing from the Disney Wonder in March 2011 as it sailed between California and Mexico.
Her body was never found and British police were prevented from investigating her disappearance because the ship was registered in the Bahamas.
The Bahamian investigation concluded her disappearance was not suspicious, but it has been criticised as only six crew members were interviewed and the majority of the 3,000 passengers onboard weren’t questioned.
It was initially suspected she had been washed overboard by a freak wave, but CCTV footage later emerged of her on the fifth deck at 5.45am looking ‘distressed’ and tugging at what appeared to be men’s clothes she was wearing.
Among the items returned to her parents were a pair of ripped shorts, which raised concerns she might have been sexually assaulted.
The Hollywood Reporter said the family had accepted an undisclosed sum from Disney in an out of court settlement in 2015. Under the terms of the settlement, they are apparently unable to discuss the case but Mr Matheson has met with the FCO’s consular service to request an investigation into her disappearance.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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