A woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, saying that a man sexually attacked her during a red eyes from San Francisco to Dallas last year.
Barbara Morgan, a resident of California, said that shortly after leaving the flight and the lights were faint, the man sitting next to her in the middle seat began to rub his hands against a deliberate attempt to touch her breasts.
She tried to create some distance from the man, Ms Morgan said, but she was undeniable. “He put his hand on the plaintiff’s upper thigh, slipped to her vagina and liked her genitals,” the complaint said, adding that the man put a bag in his arms to hide an erection.
The lawsuit, filed on April 24 at the US District Court for the northern California region, a year after the alleged incident, said the defendant, Cherian Abraham, had previously reported to the airline, but had the opportunity to continue flying. In March, Mr Abraham was arrested and accused by federal researchers with abusive sexual intercourse associated with three incidents of sex attack on airplanes, including one against Ms Morgan. Mr Abraham claimed that he is not guilty of all charges and a trial is scheduled for August 4. His lawyer could not immediately approach comments.
Last month, the FBI reported that the sexual attack on airplanes was increasing, with 104 cases being investigated by the Bureau in 2024, from 96 in 2023.
“Sexual attacks usually occur on long commercial flights and offenders tend to be men, sitting directly next to the victim and under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” the FBI said in a statement published on its website last month. “They may try to hide their activities, for example, using a blanket to cover the victim or take advantage of a dark cabin.”
In her legal complaint against American Airlines and Mr Abraham, Ms Morgan accused the airline of negligence, stating that the stewardesses rarely passed the cabin and failed to respond to the signals of discomfort when shouting twice: “Stop.” When he reported the incident at the arrival gate, he said that the American Airlines agent dealt with the “victim’s accusation”, asking why he had not taken further action to report the incident during the flight.
In the lawsuit, Mrs Morgan said she was “frozen” after the incident, fearing that if she did a scene, the man would react or rebuild the flight, which would remember other passengers.
“The safety of our team’s customers and members is our highest priority,” said a spokesman for the American Airlines in an online statement. “We take this issue very seriously and we work closely with the enforcement of the law on his investigation.”
Mr Abraham has been excluded from flying with the airline.
“FBI and American Airlines passengers have repeatedly warned the airline that the flight sexual attacks are taking place on American Airlines-and American Airlines had every opportunity to take these warnings seriously.
“This is not just a policy failure. It is a failure of basic responsibility.”
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