I never really thought about this happening during a flight and was a bit surprised by this info…
ABC News has an article and news segment about something pretty crazy that’s a bit hard to believe even takes place, in-flight sexual assault.
According to the video, a United flight was diverted last week to Chicago. The person taken off of the flight is now being investigated for sexually assaulting another passenger.
Being away for the past couple of weeks, I’ve definitely missed my fair share of news but this story to me is just awful, creepy and scary.
The article mentions how sexual assault on flights might be happening more often than we think with many cases going unreported. They go unreported due to victims being embarrassed and afraid to speak up.
The FBI says that in the NYC area alone a sexual or physical assault on a flight happens every week. They says that “the flight crew is a passengers 911 on a flight“.
However, a woman who says she was sexually assaulted during a flight is looking to make a difference.
Dana LaRue says that she woke up to find another passenger touching her leg and later on her chest. She told ABC “I knew in my head I should scream, I should yell, I should do something, but I couldn’t get my body to react”.
She regrets not reporting the assault to the crew and has now “become an advocate for victimized passengers“. LaRue said “I advise anyone who finds themselves in that situation to make a huge scene. Don’t be afraid“.
Find out more from ABC News here.
Under the true legal definition of assault, these sorts of incidents can properly be called sexual assault. If we’re going to euphemize rape (which I don’t accept as a good idea), sexual battery would be the more accurate option.
Yes, sex assault/rape comes in many forms but they are all outlined in a statute. Legally speaking, she was not a victim of sexual assault.
Touching a leg or breast of an adult is an offensive touching. A sex assault is about penetration of genitals or mouth (by a sex organ).
I just don’t agree with lumping a grown woman who had a creep touch her breast over her clothing and didn’t say anything to him at the time (!!!) with women who are forced, brutalized or threaten and minors who are preyed upon by sex offenders. This woman endured an aggravation, not a horrendous life-altering tragedy which is what real sex assault is.
WonderLady- Thanks for your comment & opinion. However, I’d have to disagree with you here.
Sexual assault comes in many forms and definitions. Why would being touched inappropriately not be classified this way? What would you call it?
I am so tired of the dilution of the term “sexual assault”. This is not the way to serve REAL VICTIMS and raise awareness. Waking up to a creep touching your leg or chest is NOT sexual assault. It’s creepy and wrong but it isn’t sexual assault.
Using this term in this circumstance takes away from real victims of sexual assault. It also skews statitics making it seem more common than it really is and makes people think that they are victims of sexual assault when they really aren’t. It just doesn’t serve victims and society.