Newsstand - Feds: Airplane sexual assaults not uncommon

Story from the BostonHerald.com (http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=75138)

Sexual assault on airplanes is more common than most people know and is usually committed against sleeping women, according to research by federal prosecutors in Boston.

``The most common type was the touching of women sleeping on flights by men seated next to them,'' said court papers filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil, who reviewed FBI and airline statistics as part of a case against an Arizona man facing trial Monday.

Delta Airlines logged 30 incidents in the skies in one year, according to papers in the government's case against Deepak Jahagirdar, a health-care executive charged with digitally raping a sleeping 22-year-old Boston woman during a midday flight from Dallas to Boston on March 31, 2002.
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This is very frightening stuff. In light of this, I think airlines should be much more pro-active about rearranging seating assignments to keep spouses seated together and to keep children, even teenagers, seated near their parents. While it's disturbing that flying alone should now make me fearful, it's disgraceful that airlines put even more people at risk by separating traveling companions.

How exactly does one "digitally rape" another?

How exactly does one "digitally rape" another?
Digit = Finger

Story from the BostonHerald.com (http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=75138)

Sexual assault on airplanes is more common than most people know and is usually committed against sleeping women, according to research by federal prosecutors in Boston.

``The most common type was the touching of women sleeping on flights by men seated next to them,'' said court papers filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil, who reviewed FBI and airline statistics as part of a case against an Arizona man facing trial Monday.

Delta Airlines logged 30 incidents in the skies in one year, according to papers in the government's case against Deepak Jahagirdar, a health-care executive charged with digitally raping a sleeping 22-year-old Boston woman during a midday flight from Dallas to Boston on March 31, 2002.
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This is very frightening stuff. In light of this, I think airlines should be much more pro-active about rearranging seating assignments to keep spouses seated together and to keep children, even teenagers, seated near their parents. While it's disturbing that flying alone should now make me fearful, it's disgraceful that airlines put even more people at risk by separating traveling companions.

How do you know the assaults were committed by strangers?

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/MythsFactSexualViolence.htm

Myth #4: Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers.

Fact: Most sexual assaults and rapes are committed by someone the victim knows. Among victims aged 18 to 29, two-thirds had a prior relationship with the offender(1). During 2000, about six in ten rape or sexual assault victims stated the offender was an intimate, other relative, a friend or an acquaintance(2). A study of sexual victimization of college women showed that most victims knew the person who sexually victimized them. For both completed and attempted rapes, about 9 in 10 offenders were known to the victim(3). Most often, a boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, classmate, friend, acquaintance, or co-worker sexually victimized the women(4). Sexual assault can be committed within any type of relationship, including in marriage, in dating relationships, or by friends, acquaintances or co-workers. Sexual assault can occur in heterosexual or same-gender relationships. It does not matter whether there is a current or past relationship between the victim and offender; unwanted sexual activity is still sexual assault and is a serious crime.

Your seating plan may actually increase the number of assaults.

Ah, yes, it's true that most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. But if that occurred on an airplane, then the airline is not at fault, because I chose to sit next to that person.

If an airline forces me to sit next to someone I don't know, even though I'm traveling with a companion that I have stated that I do trust, I think the airline must accept liability for assaults that occur.


I'm only bringing this up because there have been many arguments over in TravelBuzz about whether it's reasonable to expect to be seated with your traveling companions. Many FT'ers seem to think that any person over age 8 or so is perfectly safe sitting alone with strangers. I disagree.

If an airline forces me to sit next to someone I don't know, even though I'm traveling with a companion that I have stated that I do trust, I think the airline must accept liability for assaults that occur.



Seeing as how most travelers most of the time are "forced" to sit next to someone they don't know on an airplane (this is how the seats are arranged), this is a most impractical rule you suggest.

If an airline forces me to sit next to someone I don't know, even though I'm traveling with a companion that I have stated that I do trust, I think the airline must accept liability for assaults that occur.
If the airline were to specifically break up your party - you might have a claim - if you could demonstrate that they should have reason to suspect that doing so would put you in danger.

If it just so happened that you couldn't get seats next to eachother, that's not the airline's fault. I shouldn't be forced to give up the seat I reserved in advance because you want to chat with a friend. (I'd probably give it up voluntarily if you asked nicely, of course.)

And unless the airline is deliberately or negligently setting up a situation where you're likely to be victimized, which it's not, it shouldn't be liable for people breaking the law.

In light of this, I think airlines should be much more pro-active about rearranging seating assignments to keep spouses seated together and to keep children, even teenagers, seated near their parents. While it's disturbing that flying alone should now make me fearful, it's disgraceful that airlines put even more people at risk by separating traveling companions.

I couldn't disagree more. If the family wants to stick together, they are responsible for getting their seats together which means buying the tickets enough in advance and getting to the gate on time so that they aren't separated later.

I was separated from my husband when I was held back at security a few weeks ago at LAX. I told him to go on. We were then separated on our flight back to NYC. I dealt with a lot of garbage on that flight (I did a thread on it) but one thing I don't blame Delta for is separating us. Hey, it happens. Security kept me waiting; it wasn't Delta's fault.

If an airline forces me to sit next to someone I don't know, even though I'm traveling with a companion that I have stated that I do trust, I think the airline must accept liability for assaults that occur.

Why? Did the airline force you to travel alone? If you buy one seat, you get one seat. If you don't want anyone next to you, you can remedy your concern quite easily; buy the seat next to yours or travel on small aircraft in which one side of the plane has just one seat per row.

Many FT'ers seem to think that any person over age 8 or so is perfectly safe sitting alone with strangers. I disagree.

Then when you have a child, never let him/her fly alone. That's easy.

Typically on planes I fall asleep before the safety announcements. This article makes me wonder how wise that is. I fly alone most of the time, and as far as I can tell, nothing has happened to me on a plane.

However this news doesn't surprise me too much. I don't fall asleep on buses anymore because I once woke up with the hand of the guy across the aisle from me wandering up my leg.

It's interesting that I haven't changed my habits on planes.

I sorry folks but buying tickets early and having FF status is no garantee for getting seats together!!!

As we cruise alot we buy our tickets 330 days out & it still happens regularly that we find the family (6 of us including small children) spread around the aircraft - even on long transat flights. It is so frustrating when one has flights almost a year and you try to be one of the first at check in - just to find that seats have once again been changed around. Strangely if almost always happens at Stuttgart airport with the only Delta flight from there. Stuttgart is closer for us but we have taken to going to Frankfurt as it tends to be better there.

Oh yes and try sorting out the mess at check in time :mad: