An 18-year-old teenager had a horrific start to her gap year when she was sexually harassed on a flight from South Africa to London. She was seated next to a 50-year-old male who got drunk and made advances toward her, according to Cape Talk.
The mother of the teenager spoke to Cape Talk and explained that the ordeal started with inappropriate comments, him moving into her personal space and interrupting her while she tried to watch a movie.
She then attempted to sleep in order to avoid any further interactions with him. She woke to find his hand on her thigh and his other hand trying to slip into her pants.
She began to cry and he told her to not be so ‘dramatic’ as ‘nothing’ had happened.
After alerting a member of the flight crew, she was moved to a seat in between two other men. There were no repercussions for her seat neighbour who harassed her. She also received no assistance when the plane landed. No security measures were taken nor was she offered any support. While in the airport she encountered the man again inside a lift.
Cape Talk reached out to the Emirates to inquire about the procedures and staff training with regards to these situations. The airline responded and said: ‘We place the highest priority on the safety and security of our customers and crew; we take all claims of assault very seriously and have stringent protocols in place for our crew to address them. We are deeply concerned to learn about the incident onboard the flight on 3 March, and have launched a full investigation.’
The victim’s mother also reached out to the airline to report the man. The airline refused to disclose the passenger’s information. The mother confirmed to Cape Talk that the guardians of the teenager in London have opened a case against the man.
Image: Unsplash
