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Suit alleges sexual assault by cruise line employee

MIAMI - A cruise passenger's lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. claims she was sexually assaulted by an employee on the last night of a weeklong trip through the Caribbean.

The Florida woman, identified only as "Jane Doe," was on the M/V Voyager of the Sea when an employee insisted on walking her to her cabin, took her to an employees-only area and assaulted her, according to the suit.

The assault happened "as the ship was heading back to port," said the woman's Tampa attorney, Herbert H. Hofmann II, who filed the suit Friday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

The cruise began Aug. 3, 2003, made five stops and returned to Miami on Aug. 10, according to an itinerary.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said it called the FBI after learning about the allegation from "a traveling companion who identified himself as the guest's fiance" after the cruise, and helped in the investigation.

"A year later, the FBI has brought no charges ... and our company has yet to receive a written statement from the guest, as requested," the statement said.

Royal Caribbean confirmed on July 30 that the alleged assailant was a cruise line worker, but declined to identify him, the suit said.

MIAMI - The congregation of the oldest historically black Catholic church in Miami-Dade County has completed a $14.5-million restoration to repair fire damage from a 2002 Christmastime arson.

St. Francis Xavier, a 77-year-old church in Miami's Overtown neighborhood, was also formally dedicated for the first time at the Sunday service that celebrated the completion of the repairs, which were mostly paid for with insurance money.

The church was set ablaze Dec. 20, 2002, by a 12-year-old boy who had been expelled from the church's school, police said. No one was in the church at the time, but the fire and smoke caused extensive damage to the interior and sanctuary.

Church leaders were surprised to learn that Sunday's dedication was the church's first christening, likely because it began as a black mission. Mission churches weren't dedicated the way normal churches are, said Miami Archbishop John C. Favalora.

"We were looking through the church archives and found that this church was never formally dedicated," said the Rev. John Madigan. "I was just as surprised as anyone because this is very much a historic church."