SINGAPORE: A 20-year-old man will be charged on Tuesday (Apr 22) after he allegedly molested a 28-year-old female cabin crew member during a flight to Singapore.
The Singapore Police Force said that it was alerted to the incident on Feb 28 at about 12.05pm.
Preliminary investigations found that during the flight, the victim was escorting a female passenger to the toilet when she noticed a piece of tissue paper on the floor on reaching there.
“As the female crew bent forward to pick it up, the man allegedly appeared behind her, grasped her and pushed her into the lavatory with him,” the police said in their news release on Monday without giving details of the airline and other flight details.
The female passenger, who witnessed the incident, helped the victim out of the toilet immediately.
The incident was then reported to the cabin supervisor and the man was arrested by officers from the Airport Police Division once the plane arrived at Changi Airport.
The suspect will be charged with outrage of modesty and if found guilty, may face a jail term of up to three years, a fine or caning, or any combination of the punishments.
The police said that they take a firm stance against sexual offenders who commit indecent acts that cause alarm, distress and harassment to others, whether on planes or in public.
Such offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law.
Assistant Commissioner M Malathi, the Commander of Airport Police Division, said: “We take such incidents seriously as cabin crew are trained professionals dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all passengers.”
She added that the Singapore Police Force remains committed to protecting airline staff members and passengers on board from any form of sexual harassment or assault.
