How to report sexual assault on a plane
June 29, 2023 7:42 AM Subscribe
On a recent flight between Canada and the US, my mother woke up to her seat mate groping her. In the moment she pushed him away and then stayed awake, but she didn’t want to wake up the whole plane by asking to be moved or making a fuss. I’m going to ask if she’d like to report it and do what I can to facilitate the process if she does. But … who does she or I report it to? What does this look like?
She should absolutely report this so that, at a minimum, the airline knows about this person and can take steps to make sure this does not happen again. If you let us know the airline name, people could probably find relevant numbers/offices for you to call. People file lawsuits over this stuff - it is serious.
posted by Mid at 10:48 AM on June 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Mid at 10:48 AM on June 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
I would be thinking more along the lines of contacting police (at which end of the route TBD), FBI, FAA, etc. A serious crime was committed. Reporting to some department of the airline seems like pretty weak sauce.
posted by JimN2TAW at 12:05 PM on June 29, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by JimN2TAW at 12:05 PM on June 29, 2023 [5 favorites]
Your mother may be able to reach out to a local advocate organization for guidance and assistance as well. The national( us) hotline is 1-800-656-4673
posted by AlexiaSky at 2:01 PM on June 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by AlexiaSky at 2:01 PM on June 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
Airline professionals know more on this than I do, though you might get support for your mom locally for surviving sexual assault AND they might research reporting venues for investigation options.
At a minimum the claim could be reported to the FAA as an unruly passenger. Not _quite_ the vibe of the incident, but it would keep pressure on JetBlue to handle it.
Reporting a crime that happened on an aircraft in flight will be a different venue than your local police force, just like if it happened on a cruise on the ocean. There is an answer to “who would handle this as a crime” it’s just in an area (aviation) that is beyond my ken.
posted by childofTethys at 2:03 PM on June 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
At a minimum the claim could be reported to the FAA as an unruly passenger. Not _quite_ the vibe of the incident, but it would keep pressure on JetBlue to handle it.
Reporting a crime that happened on an aircraft in flight will be a different venue than your local police force, just like if it happened on a cruise on the ocean. There is an answer to “who would handle this as a crime” it’s just in an area (aviation) that is beyond my ken.
posted by childofTethys at 2:03 PM on June 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The FAA has a web page that takes complaints. It says that complains of a sexual nature will be passed to the FBI.
posted by Mid at 2:37 PM on June 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Mid at 2:37 PM on June 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
According to TravelNoire, the first things to do is loudly complain, and alert a crew member and demand to be moved and NOT return to your seat. If the air crew was less than helpful, get the name of every one involved, and demand that the crew note the name and seat number of the alleged perp.
The next step is to find a "backup witness", and demand police presence upon landing, and that usually requires captains' approval to call ahead.
Given that none of that happened, your mom can definitely make a complaint, but I doubt anything would come of it, since there was no notification of crew and no other witness.
posted by kschang at 3:17 PM on June 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
The next step is to find a "backup witness", and demand police presence upon landing, and that usually requires captains' approval to call ahead.
Given that none of that happened, your mom can definitely make a complaint, but I doubt anything would come of it, since there was no notification of crew and no other witness.
posted by kschang at 3:17 PM on June 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
I wouldn’t discount the outcome for reporting at this point in time, because if the person who committed the assault has 1-2 earlier complaints, or even has minor follow up, the behavior has a better chance of being formally addressed, and even a minor follow up signals that the behavior is unacceptable. Please WHEN someone complains, or how they complain, doesn’t mean as much as actually getting the information to the people who can address it.
I’d love to see an article with the airline steward putting the problem person between a federal marshal and the window, with the marshal creating a formal report that the problematic person must appeal to explain why they should not be on a Cannot Fly list…
posted by childofTethys at 3:55 PM on June 29, 2023 [4 favorites]
I’d love to see an article with the airline steward putting the problem person between a federal marshal and the window, with the marshal creating a formal report that the problematic person must appeal to explain why they should not be on a Cannot Fly list…
posted by childofTethys at 3:55 PM on June 29, 2023 [4 favorites]
I think that either the airline or the FAA are probably sensible people to report to, and it's good if you can support your mum. I think if you do report it's easier to assume that you'll hear nothing as a result, whether or not something does happen.
It's very easy to have an opinion on whether someone else should report a sexual assault, and quite a bit harder to report being assaulted. Suggesting that she report it, and offering to support her to do it is a good thing to do. Insisting that she report it, or worse, trying to guilt trip her into reporting it would very much not be good things to do. Someone who didn't want to make a fuss at the time, may or may not be comfortable with reporting now even with support. And either of those are valid responses.
posted by plonkee at 4:13 PM on June 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
It's very easy to have an opinion on whether someone else should report a sexual assault, and quite a bit harder to report being assaulted. Suggesting that she report it, and offering to support her to do it is a good thing to do. Insisting that she report it, or worse, trying to guilt trip her into reporting it would very much not be good things to do. Someone who didn't want to make a fuss at the time, may or may not be comfortable with reporting now even with support. And either of those are valid responses.
posted by plonkee at 4:13 PM on June 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
This happened to me 8 years ago, on a work trip. I got up out of my seat, shouting, and then had to endure the rest of the plane looking side-eye awkwardly at me (standing in the aisle) for the next 10 minutes as we taxiid to the gate. The stewards were so shocked they didn't either make me sit down (there was not another seat) but neither did they make the pilot stop the plane until I did.
When we got to the gate, I asked to speak to the police. The stewards took my report, one of the pilots said something hasty like 'I'm sorry to hear that/who was it', nothing of consequence.
They looked up the perpetrator's name and noted "he's a gold member" (ie it was Alaska Airlines Gold mileage level- not the aura of his actual member)... anyway I digress- they said it as if I or anyone should care how much he'd flown. Not sure if the implication was they should let it go, but that was how it came across at the time because they certainly weren't implying they should stop him because he was therefore a risk for women on many other flights.
I had to repeat what had happened ~5 times for different staff members/gate agents etc etc. And then I sat there on the plane for the next 45 mins, upset and exhausted. It was late at night, I started to get angry, not just at the jackass who assaulted me but at the whole bizarre and lame lack of response (ie they didn't retain the perpetrator, who at least should have been held back / separate from me til police could arrive), and knowing deep down that absolutely nothing would occur.
At the hour mark, I gave up. I left my contact information and went home. I got an email offering 1200 miles for my unsatisfactory flying experience.
The whole situation was simply shitty. I _should_ have been encouraged to press charges, immediately. I wish I had felt that support and I wish they had the balls to retain him until police arrived, and that police had made a higher priority of getting there.
I did take a photo last year of a flyer I saw at a TSA desk https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/sexual-assault-aboard-aircraft-poster-042618.pdf/view it says:
Sexual Assault on Aircraft is a Federal Crime.
Maybe things have changed since my experience, maybe laws have changed, I don't know. I know the fact that nothing happened afterward made both the incident (and the fact that I had to verbalize it afterward) and wait and wait awkwardly and questioning myself and the reaction of others- worse.
I'd advise to contact the number on the flyer and gather information about what the police will do, and what the info collection experience consists of. Then present that information to your mom and let her decide what action would make her feel best - in 8 years time. If it were me, today, I'd make it a mission to throw the effing federal book at him, and I'd tell the airline and airport involved they need to make it more apparent to EVERYONE that this is a federal crime. TSA posters are a start.
I'm very sorry this happened to her. Hugs.
posted by iiniisfree at 5:20 PM on June 29, 2023 [14 favorites]
When we got to the gate, I asked to speak to the police. The stewards took my report, one of the pilots said something hasty like 'I'm sorry to hear that/who was it', nothing of consequence.
They looked up the perpetrator's name and noted "he's a gold member" (ie it was Alaska Airlines Gold mileage level- not the aura of his actual member)... anyway I digress- they said it as if I or anyone should care how much he'd flown. Not sure if the implication was they should let it go, but that was how it came across at the time because they certainly weren't implying they should stop him because he was therefore a risk for women on many other flights.
I had to repeat what had happened ~5 times for different staff members/gate agents etc etc. And then I sat there on the plane for the next 45 mins, upset and exhausted. It was late at night, I started to get angry, not just at the jackass who assaulted me but at the whole bizarre and lame lack of response (ie they didn't retain the perpetrator, who at least should have been held back / separate from me til police could arrive), and knowing deep down that absolutely nothing would occur.
At the hour mark, I gave up. I left my contact information and went home. I got an email offering 1200 miles for my unsatisfactory flying experience.
The whole situation was simply shitty. I _should_ have been encouraged to press charges, immediately. I wish I had felt that support and I wish they had the balls to retain him until police arrived, and that police had made a higher priority of getting there.
I did take a photo last year of a flyer I saw at a TSA desk https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/sexual-assault-aboard-aircraft-poster-042618.pdf/view it says:
Sexual Assault on Aircraft is a Federal Crime.
Maybe things have changed since my experience, maybe laws have changed, I don't know. I know the fact that nothing happened afterward made both the incident (and the fact that I had to verbalize it afterward) and wait and wait awkwardly and questioning myself and the reaction of others- worse.
I'd advise to contact the number on the flyer and gather information about what the police will do, and what the info collection experience consists of. Then present that information to your mom and let her decide what action would make her feel best - in 8 years time. If it were me, today, I'd make it a mission to throw the effing federal book at him, and I'd tell the airline and airport involved they need to make it more apparent to EVERYONE that this is a federal crime. TSA posters are a start.
I'm very sorry this happened to her. Hugs.
posted by iiniisfree at 5:20 PM on June 29, 2023 [14 favorites]
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This type of passenger behavior is easily as bad as if it happened to airline staff, so there should be more options than what I have suggested. The staff in the EEO/fair practice area would likely have some trauma-informed training, which if why I didn’t suggest a local police station.
The airline, at a minimum, would want to be aware of a customer that may be reportable for criminal behavior. Your mom may be doing other passengers a favor just by reporting the incident.
posted by childofTethys at 8:44 AM on June 29, 2023 [4 favorites]