A 71-year-old man has been charged after a woman reported being sexually assaulted while asleep on a long-haul flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne.
The incident occurred on 22 September when the woman told cabin crew that a fellow passenger had reached inside her clothing without consent.
Flight attendants quickly moved her to another seat and notified authorities, and when the aircraft landed at Melbourne Airport, Australian Federal Police boarded the plane, interviewed witnesses, and took the man into custody.
The accused appeared via video link at Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on 24 September. He has been charged with one count of “act of indecency without consent” under the Crimes Act, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. His lawyer initially attempted to suppress reporting of the case on mental health grounds, but that application was later withdrawn.
The matter has been adjourned until 20 November to allow prosecutors to compile evidence.
Detective Superintendent Stephen Cook of the AFP stressed that unlawful conduct on flights is treated as seriously as offences committed on the ground.
He reminded travellers that they have the right to feel safe from harm while flying and encouraged anyone who experiences or witnesses inappropriate behaviour on an aircraft to report it immediately.
