Missing British Disney Cruise Ship Worker Rebecca Coriam 'May Have Been Murdered'

Missing British Disney Cruise Ship Worker 'May Have Been Murdered'
|

Campaigners are calling for a reinvestigation into the mysterious disappearance of a British child minder from a Disney cruise ship four years ago.

Rebecca Coriam, 24, of Chester, was reported missing at sea in March 2011.

Believed to have fallen overboard while working on the Disney Wonder near Mexico, Coriam's body has never been found.

Open Image Modal

Rebecca Coriam went missing from a Disney cruise liner four years ago

Because the US-based ship is registered in the Bahamas for tax reasons, it is out of UK jurisdiction, leaving the investigation to be handled by the local authorities.

Cheshire Police has viewed the Bahamas report - believed to conclude no evidence of foul play - but have not shared it with Coriam's family despite repeated requests.

Now Coriam’s MP Chris Matheson has expressed fears she was murdered and has called for a UK inquiry.

He told the BBC: “I believe there’s sufficient evidence to indicate a crime may well have taken place.

“Whatever the circumstance, there’s an obligation to investigate.

“My worst fear is Rebecca Coriam was murdered.”

Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has also backed the calls, stating: “People don’t know whether she died or she was thrown over the side.”

Coriam is known to have made a phone call from the ship shortly before she was reported missing. Her credit card, which was not among the personal belongings she left behind, was used after she disappeared.

Assistant Chief Constable Guy Hindle of Cheshire Police said: “Cheshire Constabulary maintains a facilitating role in the case of the disappearance of Rebecca Coriam in 2011. We have been supporting and updating the Coriam family, facilitating communications between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Bahamian Authorities.

“We have contacted the Royal Bahamas Police on more than one occasion to request a complete summary of the investigation to be shared with the Coriam family; directly and via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. To date such a summary has not been received by Cheshire Constabulary.

“The incomplete summary document, sent originally by the Bahamian Authorities to Cheshire Police, was security marked as restricted, therefore we did not have the authority to pass the document onto anyone else. In addition, the document contained personal information that would be bound by the Data Protection Act.

“We appreciate this has been both a distressing and frustrating time for the Coriam family but it is important to remember that Cheshire Constabulary has no jurisdiction to investigate Rebecca’s disappearance and has had no involvement in the day-to-day management of the investigation.”

Speaking in 2012, Coriam’s father Mike said: “We’ve never believed she simply disappeared overboard and drowned. I have always felt she is still alive.

"We are just keeping our fingers crossed that she is out there somewhere.”

The 1,000-foot-long Disney Wonder carries 2,500 passengers and 1,000 crew members. The ship was on a seven-day cruise along the western coast of Mexico when Coriam went missing.