Woman Says She Was Sexually Assaulted on American Airlines Flight

A woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, saying that a sex man assaulted a lot by altering a red -eyed flight from San Francisco to Dallas last year.

Barbara Morgan, a California resident, said that shortly after the flight went out and the lights were attenuated, the man sitting next to him in the central seat began to rub his arms by stirring in a deliberate attempt to touch his breasts.

She tried to create a certain distance of the man, Ms. Morgan said, but he did not flinch. “He put his hand on the top of the plaintiff’s thigh, he slipped her into her vagina and stroked her genitals,” the complaint said, adding that the man puts a bag in his lap to hide an erection.

The lawsuit, filed on April 24 at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, a year after the alleged incident, said the defendant, Cherian Abraham, had reported that he had been at the airline previously, but was allowed to continue flying. In March, Mr. Abraham was arrested and accused by federal researchers of abusive sexual contact linked to three incidents of sexual aggression in airplanes, including Ms. Morgan. Mr. Abraham declared himself innocent of all charges and a trial has a bone scheduled for August. 4. Your lawyer could not be contacted immediately to comment.

Last month, the FBI reported that the sexual assault on the airplanes is increasing, with 104 cases investigated by the agency in 2024, compared to 96 in 2023. The agency warned that the number of incidents was not reported.

“Sexual aggressions generally occur on long commercial flights, and criminals tend to be masculine, sitting directly next to the victim and under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” said the FBI in a statement published on its website last month. “They can try to hide their activities, for example, using a blanket to cover the victim or take advantage of a dark cabin.”

In his legal complaint against American Airlines and Mr. Abraham, Ms. Morgan accused the negligence airline, stating that flight attendees rarely walked through the cabin and did not respond to their signs of anguish when she shouted twice: “Highlighted.” When the incident reported at the arrival door, he said that American Airlines agent dedicated himself to “blaming the victims,” ​​asking why he had more measures to inform the duration of the flight incident.

In the demand, Morgan said that “he frozen” after the incident, fearing that if she did a scene, the man would retaliate or the flight would be redirected, which would be anger of other passengers.

“The safety of our clients and team members is our highest priority,” said an American Airlines spokesman in a statement sent by email. “We take this matter very seriously and we are working closely with the police in their investigation.”

Since then, Mr. Abraham has been forbidden to fly with the airline.

“FBI and American Airlines passengers have repeatedly warned the airline that sexual aggressions in flight are occurring on the flights of American Airlines and American Airlines have had everyone blindly blind, Sove Warnings Serotry.

“This is not just a failure of politics; it is a basic failure or responsibility.”

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