| [00:00.00] |
The report describes as significant the increase in hostage deaths last year. |
| [00:04.87] |
35 people died, that's 3% of all hostages taken. |
| [00:09.65] |
Most were killed during rescue operations, a sign that the increasingly robust way of dealing with pirates makes life more dangerous for the hostages. |
| [00:18.23] |
Others died from malnutrition or disease. |
| [00:21.37] |
It used to be rare for a captive to die. |
| [00:24.29] |
For the pirates, who are principally interested in ransom payments, they were worth more alive than dead. |
| [00:30.49] |
The report describes the often brutal treatment of crew members. |
| [00:34.87] |
Last year nearly 4,000 seafarers were fired upon by Somali pirates. |
| [00:40.09] |
Half of all hostages were subjected to what the report describes as moderate abuse including punching and slapping. |
| [00:48.03] |
10% suffered violent abuse such as being locked in freezers, burned with cigarettes and having their fingernails pulled out with pliers. 10% |
| [00:56.78] |
The report also says that last year there was a 50% increase in the length of time people are kept hostage. |
| [01:03.55] |
It's now an average of eight months. |
| [01:06.31] |
Some have been kept for more than two years, such as the crew of the Panama-flagged MV Iceberg who have been held hostage since March 2010. |
| [01:15.94] |
The report says the ship's owner has gone out of business so there is nobody to negotiate the crew's release. |
| [01:22.65] |
The Director of the International Maritime Bureau, said that although a lot of attention is given to Somali piracy, the human cost on seafarers and their families is often ignored. |