Warning: The following article contains disturbing claims of physical abuse

Earlier this year, SuperyachtNews released a series of articles focusing on cases of sexual assault and predatory behaviour in the superyacht industry. The reason for this wasn’t necessarily because there had been a spike in cases, instead, it was meant to showcase how these incidents were becoming increasingly publicised in a manner that is more conducive to accountability. Serious accusations should not be treated lightly, but if the series revealed anything, it’s that the majority of victims in the superyacht industry don’t know where or how to speak out against potentially dangerous individuals. Because of this, an unregulated Facebook group has now become the go-to place for crewmembers seeking refuge and advice from their peers.

Less than 12 months ago, the Facebook page Yachties: Name, Shame, and Fame consisted of a group of just a few hundred crew members who wanted to expose programs that withhold money and mistreat yachties in an attempt to protect crew from suffering the same fate. Many stakeholders brushed this group aside and claimed it was a platform for disgruntled crew members to get together and exaggerate isolated incidents. However, over the course of the year, the group has grown to over 16.6K members, and some of the claims…