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A passenger was held by the Australian Federal Police for questioning, after a flight from Dubai landed at Sydney airport, after it was reported a child had been molested during the flight.
An AFP spokeswoman said “The passenger was later released and an investigation is ongoing”. The AFP would not affirm the nature of the allegations.
13 year-old Emily was flying unaccompanied in 2009 when she was allegedly molested by a Ugandan pastor, Jackson Senyonga, on a United Airlines flight.
While she slept, Senyonga had moved from his assigned seat to sit next to the girl.
This is in spite of the fact that Emily was wearing a pin on her chest, declaring she was an unaccompanied minor. When questioned Senyonga stated he thought she was a ‘big girl’ because she was mature and well-endowed in the breasts.
The girl’s mother had paid an extra unaccompanied minor’s fee of $99 in order to ensure her daughter’s safety.
The U.S. attorney’s office declined to file charges, saying it didn’t have sufficient evidence to prosecute. The alleged perpetrator and the United Airlines are both being sued by the girl’s mother.
A 33 year-old Australian fund manager, Mirko Fischer, is suing British Airways because an attendant ordered him to swap seats with his wife, as he was sitting next to an unaccompanied 12 year-old.
Fisher objected until the air-steward raised his voice over the matter, creating a disturbance for the surrounding passengers. Fisher was told the company policy was that they would not take-off until he changed seats.
The airline’s crew are instructed to walk the aisles in a pre-flight check and ensure that no unaccompanied minor is seated next to a male they do not know, or minor sitting apart from their parents.
“The policy of demanding a man move because he is seated next to an unaccompanied minor is branding all men as perverts for no reason” claims Fisher.
No one can identify exactly how many unaccompanied minors fly, as air lines will not release these figures. The U.S. Department of Transportation has received 244 unaccompanied minor complaints since January 2005.
About Child Travelling Alone Molested
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