13 yo Girl Assaulted on Flight

[goldberry]

The girl was flying as an unaccompanied minor, and a man sitting next to her was groping her.

 

The mom says it the airline was at fault for not paying more attention during the flight.  When you pay the fee for an unaccompanied minor, the airline says the fee:

 

will ensure your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and released to the appropriate person at their destination.

 

DD has flown unaccompanied every year since she was 7 or 8.  It wouldn't occur to me to think she could be molested on the plane in public like that.  But I didn't ever assume the flight attendants would be watching her at all times. Not sure what I think about it.

 

http://www.aol.com/article/2016/07/09/american-airlines-sued-for-10m-after-13-year-old-girl-was-sexua/21427411/

 

 

ETA, I did notice with DD (according to her) they paid her progressively less attention the older she got, which seems to make sense.

Edited July 9, 2016 by goldberry

[bettyandbob]

I've never had the need/opportunity to send a child unaccompanied, however I don't think I would expect the airline would watch everything in-flight either. The amount of work the flight attendants have isn't set up to add in such responsibility.

 

I think at 13 my dd would have known to get out of her seat or call attention. At 13 she was doing many things on her own. I did a lot of safety discussion.

 

Do you have the link. I was wondering at what point it was reported.

[goldberry]

Do you have the link. I was wondering at what point it was reported.

 

Sorry, forgot link, added it.  A flight attendant eventually saw it happening, but the family says it went on for 30 minutes.  I'm not sure how they know that though.  Seems like it could only be based on the girl's perception of time, if no one else saw it.

[bettyandbob]

I see the link now. The flight attendant intervened in flight. The last flight I was on the flight attendants worked the whole time. And while they were at one side of the cabin they weren't on the other side.

 

The seats are very close together I would think if one loudly said "stop touching me" and other similar stuff fellow passengers might have helped or helped get a flight attendant. Perhaps not. Not a lot of detail in the story.

 

The fee does not state frequent in-flight supervision and I wouldn't expect it.

 

The incident is terrible. I'm sorry for the girl.

[Spryte]

That poor girl. :(

[Jaybee]

I'm sorry, but something doesn't make sense.  The first time he touches you somewhere he shouldn't you stand up and go find a flight attendent.  She is 13 and sat there for 30 minutes...  Something does not add up.  It isn't like other cases where maybe and adult relative has you hidden or you don't want them to get in trouble or whatever.  It obviously bothered the girl.  My daughter would have screamed or at the very least gotten up to find the flight attendant.  I don't get how she had to just sit there until the flight attendant intervened.  That makes no sense at all.

Remembering an incident when I was 13, I disagree. You do not always have the maturity or the personality to understand the situation and how to get out of it at 13. Drawing attention to oneself like that is very difficult for some people. Most of us now, especially WTM folks, are very specific in teaching our children what to do. But many parents probably still do not address each and every possibility, and she may have not known what to do. Also, if she were on the inside of the aisle (I haven't read the article yet), she might not have been able to get out or reach the button very easily.

[JustEm]

I'm sorry, but something doesn't make sense. The first time he touches you somewhere he shouldn't you stand up and go find a flight attendent. She is 13 and sat there for 30 minutes... Something does not add up. It isn't like other cases where maybe and adult relative has you hidden or you don't want them to get in trouble or whatever. It obviously bothered the girl. My daughter would have screamed or at the very least gotten up to find the flight attendant. I don't get how she had to just sit there until the flight attendant intervened. That makes no sense at all.

People respond to assault differently. And it is completely normal to freeze in a situation like that.

[Spryte]

A 13 year old. A child. Who knows what he said to her. Clearly, she didn't feel like she could get up. And I read that she did say something, but no one heard (in the linked article).

 

She's not getting blame from me. He is.

[gardenmom5]

I'm sorry, but something doesn't make sense.  The first time he touches you somewhere he shouldn't you stand up and go find a flight attendent.  She is 13 and sat there for 30 minutes...  Something does not add up.  It isn't like other cases where maybe and adult relative has you hidden or you don't want them to get in trouble or whatever.  It obviously bothered the girl.  My daughter would have screamed or at the very least gotten up to find the flight attendant.  I don't get how she had to just sit there until the flight attendant intervened.  That makes no sense at all.

 

 

I grew up in a family where.  you. did. not. talk. back. . . . ever.  I *can* see that happening.

 

even if she didn't grow up in that situation - she's 13, was he between her and the aisle?  this age isn't generally known for self-advocacy.

 

[goldberry]

I have a dear friend who was raped.  She froze - as an adult.  She could not move or make a sound.  She had to have lots of counseling because she felt so responsible, why couldn't she have done something.    It is a not-uncommon reaction for some people.  Since hearing her story, I find myself not arrogant enough to say for a certainty what I would do in certain situations.  Of course I think I would fight and make noise.  So did she.  

 

I have no criticism for the girl.

 

I do think it was probably normal for the *flight attendants* to think that a 13 year old might not need as much attention as a younger child.

[Jaz]

I'm sorry, but something doesn't make sense.  The first time he touches you somewhere he shouldn't you stand up and go find a flight attendent.  She is 13 and sat there for 30 minutes...  Something does not add up.  It isn't like other cases where maybe and adult relative has you hidden or you don't want them to get in trouble or whatever.  It obviously bothered the girl.  My daughter would have screamed or at the very least gotten up to find the flight attendant.  I don't get how she had to just sit there until the flight attendant intervened.  That makes no sense at all.

 

She probably was in shock. I imagine it would be especially difficult for a child to try to process what was happening. What doesn't make sense is that a grown man would touch a child inappropriately!

 

I don't usually jump in on threads such as these, but this is a perfect example of a child being a victim and people questioning the child's responses. No wonder so many parents try to keep their kids out of court and settle child abuse cases.

[marbel]

Poor girl.  How awful. And what a despicable creep. 

 

I happened to be looking at Southwest Airlines' policy on unaccompanied minors, as my daughter will be traveling without parents (but in a group) soon. I assume she will sit with people she knows, but I'll talk about this with her.  Here is what Southwest says about minors ages 12-17 traveling alone:

 

 

 

Southwest does not monitor YTs during travel. Accordingly, each YT must have sufficient maturity and capability to request assistance from a Southwest Employee if needed and the means to contact a parent/guardian if there is a travel disruption.

 

This is not to say that the girl was too immature to fly alone.  I agree with those who said that freezing could be a typical reaction to such an occurrence.  But I also would not have expected the airline to be keeping an eye on her.  I'm sure American's policies will be scrutinized as this goes to trial.  

Edited July 9, 2016 by marbel

[goldberry]

Southwest does not monitor YTs during travel. Accordingly, each YT must have sufficient maturity and capability to request assistance from a Southwest Employee if needed and the means to contact a parent/guardian if there is a travel disruption.

 

Bingo.  That is what I would think.  Although, when DD was smaller they did pay her a lot of attention and check on her throughout the flight.  But I would not expect her to need to be "monitored" or supervised.

[mamiof5]

This is sick. Hope he can't get out easily. I feel so bad for the young girl! :(

 

However, I am not sure the airline is to blame. From what I read on the article, the fee covers certain procedures as far as assisting the minor, but doesn't say anywhere that there will be someone by their child every instant during the flight. Letting kids travel alone is an option for many families, but I don't think full time supervision of the child is something an airline can guarantee. It's just not their job.

[candicane]

In this piece: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/man-charged-sexually-assaulting-13-year-old-girl-flight-article-1.2681080
 
it states that she tried to move his hand, and crossed her legs even, but the man would laugh and do it again. Also says he was drunk. The poor girl was probably TERRIFIED, so stop blaming her for something that she tried to avoid. Blame the pervert of a man who couldn't keep his hands to himself. Blame the man that wouldn't listen to the word "No".

Edited July 9, 2016 by candicane

[Tita Gidge]

I learned about the incident when it first came out - it was a week or so ago, I think?

 

I held the top tier elite status on this airline for more than a decade when I worked (100K miles per year) and have maintained second tier (50K+/miles per year) in the 3 years since I retired. I'm very familiar with their inflight procedures.

 

It's my understanding that the flight attendant caught the man at the start of the beverage service. This airline's policy is to begin the beverage service at 10K feet altitude (which is when you hear the first ding), but most flight attendants wait until cruising altitude (~30K feet) in the interest of their safety. I've been told the beverage cart can weigh up to 300lbs when fully stocked, and that's no easy feat to push at an incline if the airplane is still ascending.

 

On the aircraft in question, it's about 10 minutes from take-off to 10K feet. It can take another 10-15 to reach cruising altitude. Most people who fly know that you never see a flight attendant during this time - they're all in their jump seats. Some planes do have jump seats within the passenger section of the cabin, this one does not; it's jump seats are by the boarding door and at the very back of the plane. Add to that another 5-10 minutes for a flight attendant to set up the cart for the service and we're easily at 30 minutes before she's in the aisle to complete her service ... and able to notice something isn't right.

 

[goldberry]

That makes sense, Tita.  But to me that makes it even less the attendant's fault, when the attendants weren't even up and about during that time.

[Tita Gidge]

Adding,

 

I've seen adults - rational, seemingly intelligent, normal people - who are afraid to ring the call light or to stand up if the seatbelt sign is on. And many passengers have witnessed fellow passengers being chastised by less than kind flight attendants for trying to use the lav, or to get into the overhead bin, when the sign is on.

 

It wouldn't surprise me at all that even the most assertive, confident young teenager would freeze in that situation - especially on an airplane, which is likely an irregular environment and experience (even if it happens a few times each year). It's not like being on your street with a creepy guy following you in a car where you're on familiar, home territory and at least have THAT on your side. It's you, a bunch of strangers, and an unfamiliar environment.

[Spryte]

Really? We're finding faults with how a child behaves while being groped? I thought we'd reached the limits of insanity on the police threads. Apparently not. The sickness in people's hearts astounds me.

Some people are. :(

 

It's heartbreaking.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

 

 

If she was taught to follow rules, and to obey adults, and was clearly instructed not to move "until the captain turned off the Fasten Seatbelt Sign", then it was quite understandable that she did as she was told.  If she came from a background that included molestation, then it is even more understandable.  If she was sitting on an inside seat, from where she'd have to climb over the creep to get away, it's even more understandable.  

 

I was molested as a child (by my uncle), from my earliest memories and into my teens.  It affected me well into my adult life.  

I was assaulted by a much older man when I was 30, and I froze.  I felt exactly like I had as a child.  

 

It doesn't surprise me at all that this girl acted the way she did.  

I hope the guy was arrested.  

[Tita Gidge]

Goldberry, I agree. I don't fault them at all, I think they did what they could, when they could.

 

My youngest is a girl. And shy. And would be worried about offending a stranger by being "rude" or upsetting an airline employee by asking to be moved. We fly a lot, every month so she is very familiar with the inflight experience. We have a regular route, so she even has a rapport with the flight attendants who are also regulars on that route because we see them every other week. As in they know her birthday, they bring her small gifts, etc. And still ... if she had been in that girl's seat, I don't know that she would have stood up to move, rung her call light, or otherwise called attention to the situation.

 

I don't send her as a UM, ever. If I had no choice but to do so, I'd take advantage of the airline's policy allowing me to escort her to the gate and I'd talk to the gate agent myself about her seating. I know they usually try to seat the UMs in the front of main cabin where there is a lot of flight attendant traffic and both cabin crews can keep tabs on the child. But on an open flight, I may want her seated next to a galley instead - where she'd have eyes and ears on her during that climb and descent when most adults know the crew is not paying attention. On open flights, the attendants are less busy, too, and more apt to camp out in the last few rows of the cabin if the gate agent blocked them off (for the crew).

 

What I wonder is where the nearest fellow passenger was seated.

 

And I wonder if he was noticeably drunk (which would put AA in trouble as it's illegal to allow him to board).

[bettyandbob]

I wasn't blaming the girl either. 

 

Based on the airline's stated procedures I do not think there was an expectation for them to monitor her throughout the flight. That is something parents need to understand when making a decision for their child go unaccompanied. 

[amsunshine]

Southwest does not monitor YTs during travel. Accordingly, each YT must have sufficient maturity and capability to request assistance from a Southwest Employee if needed and the means to contact a parent/guardian if there is a travel disruption.

 

Bingo.  That is what I would think.  Although, when DD was smaller they did pay her a lot of attention and check on her throughout the flight.  But I would not expect her to need to be "monitored" or supervised.

 

However, our experience has been that Southwest did not charge an extra fee for a 13 year old unaccompanied minor, but American did.  Thus, the Southwest policy is what it is.  I can say that when my dd traveled as an unaccompanied minor on American, she felt like she was treated like royalty by the flight attendants.  The attendants on Southwest didn't give her a second look.  (But again, there was no extra fee on Southwest.)

[bettyandbob]

What I wonder is this: Will they allow unaccompanied minors any more.  I do not see any way the airline  could have prevented this.

 

 

Yes, if the airline is found at fault, I could easily see all airlines severely limiting or eliminating unaccompanied minors. And that will take away options for parents who need this service and would like the opportunity to evaluate for themselves whether their child can respond to a variety of situations. 

[Greta]

I'm not blaming her.  I just didn't understand how it could happen.  Of course the guy is a scum and should be put away.  Of course it isn't her fault that it happened.  I was just trying to figure out...

 

 

If you're unfamiliar with traumatic and dangerous situations generally, or sexual predators more specifically, it's natural that you wouldn't understand.  I could never have begun to imagine the things that predators will say to intimidate and threaten their victims into silence if I hadn't had friends share their stories with me.  And while it's hard to imagine freezing up if you've never been through it, it is a common response to fear for a lot of different people in a lot of different circumstances.  It seems reasonable to think that in her situation, with so many people around, she would feel that she could cry out for help.  But the thing is, when you're terrified, you don't act on reason.  Quite literally - the adrenaline rush and accompanying physiological changes disrupt the higher thinking capabilities of the brain.  (Or so I've read - I'm not an expert.)  I've never been through anything comparable, but I've been in a couple of situations where for just a few brief moments I was very afraid, and it was almost like I was watching it from somewhere else, and couldn't make my body move.  

[marbel]

However, our experience has been that Southwest did not charge an extra fee for a 13 year old unaccompanied minor, but American did.  Thus, the Southwest policy is what it is.  I can say that when my dd traveled as an unaccompanied minor on American, she felt like she was treated like royalty by the flight attendants.  The attendants on Southwest didn't give her a second look.  (But again, there was no extra fee on Southwest.)

 

Here is what American says they will do for that $150 for unaccompanied minors:

 

 

 

Our unaccompanied minor service is to ensure your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and released to the appropriate person at their destination.

    Link to AA site.

 

Unless I missed something, there is nothing about monitoring the child during the flight.   

 

I'm sure that poor girl will be affected by this for a long time.  Still I don't see how American can be held liable for it. 

 

[Tita Gidge]

Yes, if the airline is found at fault, I could easily see all airlines severely limiting or eliminating unaccompanied minors. And that will take away options for parents who need this service and would like the opportunity to evaluate for themselves whether their child can respond to a variety of situations. 

 

I don't know that they would, though.

 

Sadly, this isn't the first incident of this kind. Past incidents are probably why each airline currently words their individual policies the way that they do, though. The wording posted here is very precise in what the parent can expect (and should not expect). And it's working because the consensus here is that the airline isn't legally culpable. Time will tell what a judge/jury thinks.

 

I think this is too big a money maker for them to eliminate the service completely. It may undergo some changes, but I'm not sure what further changes it can undergo without infringing upon the rights of its other passengers. For example, a gate agents PERSONAL policy of not seating a UM next to an unrelated male passenger might be acceptable (or overlooked by the company and passengers) but as a company-wide (or even industry-wide) policy this discrimination against an entire class of passengers (men) is unacceptable.

[Guest]

I'm baffled by why they sat her next to a man. When my ds flew unaccompanied, they always asked a woman and/or woman with kids if he could be seated next to them. Poor girl. :(

[marbel]

I'm baffled by why they sat her next to a man. When my ds flew unaccompanied, they always asked a woman and/or woman with kids if he could be seated next to them. Poor girl. :(

 

Because they don't assume that just because someone is male a young girl is not safe sitting next to him?   

 

Edited July 9, 2016 by marbel

[Guest]

As a parent, I would assume that paying to have my child flown as a UM would mean some care was taken with their seating. This plane couldn't have been full or the people across the aisle would have noticed. Why was she sat next to a man? And a man who got on the plane drunk?? I'd sue if I were the parent.

[Guest]

Because they don't assume that just because someone is male a young girl is not safe sitting next to him?

 

An UM should be in a row alone if the plane isn't full or with a woman if the plane is. Sad but statistics are in my favor.

[Lanny]

I remember, years ago, seeing a Fox Extra about this young woman and the book she wrote. They had a video too. Basically, "Just Yell Fire" is the first thing a girl or woman should do.  http://www.justyellfire.com/

 

When DD was very young (4 or 5) my wife sent me with her to the movies.  Before I sent her into the woman's restroom, in a movie theater, or the superstore, I always told her, "If anyone bothers you, scream "Incendio" (Fire in Spanish) at the top of your lungs" Fortunately, nobody ever bothered her.

 

Regrading unaccompanied minors flying, I guess sexual abuse is not something that has been covered in recent threads here on that topic.

 

I spent 5 years of my life with a woman who was a Flight Attendant.  As has been pointed out here, they are usually very occupied.  They are also frequently receiving comments and gropes from passengers and trying to protect themselves from being sexually assaulted.   

 

The victim in this case was young and in retrospect her mother and father should have included things like this in what they explained to her, before sending her off on that flight. Very sad...

[Ausmumof3]

I am NOT blaming the girl!! Regardless the man is responsible. He is a scum. But planes are so incredibly crowded with people all around. I can get freezing when you are by yourself but in a public place with tons of people around?? I guess I have trouble seeing how that can happen, but since all of you chimed in I guess I will have to say it does. It just doesn't make sense to my brain.

This happened to me on a long bus trip and I froze exactly. I was a similar age too. Everyone's responses are different - are you familiar with the fight flight or freeze theory? Basically survival instinct makes people employ one of the three and sometimes it's the wrong one for the situation.

[livetoread]

When I first read about this, I read something about a flight attendant noticing the man sitting next to her before they took off and asking him to move which he didn't do. This alone might make the airline more liable. I can see an attorney saying, "So you were concerned enough to ask him to move, but then didn't enforce it and didn't follow up on the situation until 30 minutes had passed?" Oops.

 

Aside from all the other reasons why a girl might not say anything, I would think she might be feeling intensely humiliated. She would have to tell complete strangers that the guy was doing super embarrassing things. Many kids that age are so very embarrassed by anything having to do with sex - well by anything for that matter. Poor girl.

[Tita Gidge]

I'm baffled by why they sat her next to a man. When my ds flew unaccompanied, they always asked a woman and/or woman with kids if he could be seated next to them. Poor girl. :(

 

I think this is one of those things that we as parents have on our radar. But it's not on everyone's.

 

If my ex-husband had been the gate agent in the years before we had kids, it would never have occurred to him to pay that close attention to where a teenager sat - especially if she looked older or acted older than her age. He's just not good at gauging these things, and may have mistaken her for older.

 

The UM's age is stated *ON* her physical paperwork, but it's possible that the UM-escort signed the UM over directly to the flight attendant - bypassing the gate agent entirely. (At AA, everyone who handles the UM is required to sign a piece of paper accepting "receipt" of the UM. The UM is supposed to wear a huge plastic lanyard around her neck in which this paperwork is housed. Most older and "regular UM" kids refuse to wear the lanyard, and just carry it.) The UM's age is also stated *IN* her flight record, but in my experience the agents don't always make note of it. I've stood by for full flights with very young children and once had an agent offer me a seat in 18 rows away from a 2 year old and 16 rows away from a 3 year old. He saw "names on the standby list" and didn't check the ages. I've learned to proactively let the agent know that Passengers X and Y are under five and we need to be seated together or we'll just wait for our scheduled flight. 

 

Since having kids, especially daughters, my ex-husband's perspective is SO DIFFERENT. He's aware now. His life experiences prior to having kids didn't give him any need to question the character of any man, not even a male stranger seated next to a female child.

[Tita Gidge]

When I first read about this, I read something about a flight attendant noticing the man sitting next to her before they took off and asking him to move which he didn't do. This alone might make the airline more liable. I can see an attorney saying, "So you were concerned enough to ask him to move, but then didn't enforce it and didn't follow up on the situation until 30 minutes had passed?" Oops.

 

Aside from all the other reasons why a girl might not say anything, I would think she might be feeling intensely humiliated. She would have to tell complete strangers that the guy was doing super embarrassing things. Many kids that age are so very embarrassed by anything having to do with sex - well by anything for that matter. Poor girl.

 

The thing is, the flight attendants have no power or backing (company or otherwise) to make him move. Had they been pro-active in insisting he move based on nothing but a hunch or a stereotype, he'd have grounds for his own lawsuit.

 

Could they have moved the girl? Absolutely. I wonder why they didn't. But I don't think that makes them liable for what happened.

 

For all we know, the flight attendant asked the man if he'd like to move and he declined. She may have then asked the girl if she was okay, and if the girl nodded or said "yes" then the flight attendant moved on to tend to her other pre-flight duties. Maybe the girl said so out of fear, but maybe at that point she really did feel okay with the man sitting there. Maybe the flight attendant offered to re-seat the girl, and she declined - again, maybe out of fear or because she didn't anticipate any problems. We just don't know yet.

 

Also, in response to an attorney's question, "So you were concerned enough to ask him to move, but then didn't enforce it ..." the easy and very likely true response is this:  "On an open flight I ask all passengers if they'd like to spread out." The flight attendant's question to the abuser could have been very much rooted in inquiring about his comfort rather than out of any concern he may do something. And the flight attendant union's response would be, "It's not in our job description or in the UM contract of carriage that we are responsible for the seating or re-seating of UMs."  And legally, that's a leg to stand on.

[mtomom]

I was assaulted in a library, so with people around, as a college student. I froze. I didn't even report it. I felt responsible for freezing or shamed or I don't know what. I read later of others assaulted in the library. It was only then that I realized I wasn't at fault and should have reported it.

 

Poor girl.

 

I expect that having asked him to move before it happened and not followed up to make him adds liability to the airline.

[mommyoffive]

I know this isn't the first time.  Dh was telling me about this happening a few weeks ago.

 

 

[UmMusa]

That's sickening.  My dad asked me to send my kids via plane for summer vacations and I never did... mostly out of fear of this happening.  Nobody can have their eyes on your kids like you do.  I never felt it was worth the risk.

[MSNative]

I flew as an UM often as a child/teen. What that man did was horrible and criminal. But it can happen anywhere. I was assaulted as a preteen going to school on a crowded metro during the am commute. Unfortunately there are clown holes (fill in the appropriate word) in many different areas. I would hate for this to cause airlines to limit UM flying or cause parents to avoid it. I was able to do and see so much with the freedom to travel as a UM. My parents simply couldnt have afforded to accompany me. Id hate to limit young women's - and young mens'- experiences out of fear. Assaults can happen anywhere. Limiting kids' freedoms and movement isn't the answer.

[gardenmom5]

I'm baffled by why they sat her next to a man. When my ds flew unaccompanied, they always asked a woman and/or woman with kids if he could be seated next to them. Poor girl. :(

 

I'm sure each airline has it's own policies on that.  I recall reading one man who was a frequent flyer on BA - and was told to move because he wasn't allowed to be seated next to unaccompanied children . . .

 

....

 

....

 

 

they were HIS children.  it got ugly - as apparently, they still tried to move him.

[wendyroo]

I'm sure each airline has it's own policies on that.  I recall reading one man who was a frequent flyer on BA - and was told to move because he wasn't allowed to be seated next to unaccompanied children . . .

 

....

 

....

 

 

they were HIS children.  it got ugly - as apparently, they still tried to move him.

 

If for some reason children were flying on the same flight as their father but were still being cared for under the auspices of the UM program then I would make darn sure they were not seated next to the father.  I may not know for sure why the father was not officially accompanying them, but custody battles can get ugly and abuse by family members is much more common than by strangers.  It the children were under my charge I would seat them away from the dad, keep an eagle eye on on them/him as often as possible and make ABSOLUTELY sure the dad did not have a chance to slip off with the kids after landing.

 

Wendy

[amsunshine]

Here is what American says they will do for that $150 for unaccompanied minors:

 

 

 

    Link to AA site.

 

Unless I missed something, there is nothing about monitoring the child during the flight.   

 

I'm sure that poor girl will be affected by this for a long time.  Still I don't see how American can be held liable for it. 

 

 

Not sure.  However, I'm guessing that there is some express or implied duty of care here, particularly in light of the fact they charge $300 round trip.  It will be interesting to see how the case unfolds, or if it settles out of court.

[marbel]

Not sure.  However, I'm guessing that there is some express or implied duty of care here, particularly in light of the fact they charge $300 round trip.  It will be interesting to see how the case unfolds, or if it settles out of court.

 

I don't know.  It's pretty clear what the $150 is for, and I don't know how they can be held liable for not doing something that they didn't say they would do.  But I am no legal scholar, that's for sure.

 

Maybe the abuser is the only one guilty of anything here. 

 

[Anne in CA]

The abuser is the guilty one, no if's and's or but's. I am horrified that I put my own 13yo dd on a flight with no warning that something like this could happen. It was a small commuter flight and I never thought of this scenario. Now that it has been presented, sadly, I can see just how this probably played out.

[kiwik]

Because they don't assume that just because someone is male a young girl is not safe sitting next to him?

 

I am in NZ but I remember there being a fuss about this a few years ago. I am sure the policy was not to seat an unaccompanied minor next to a man.

[Tanaqui]

Seekinghim, mammals have 3 responses to trauma - fight, flight, and freeze. This completely bypasses our conscious brain and goes straight through the amygdala. You've heard of a "deer in the headlights", right? Well, humans get like that too. We're all mammals.

 

This makes good evolutionary sense. The ancestral furry squeaking creature that stopped and dithered over whether to run away or defend itself or stay still and hope to remain unseen is unlikely to have produced very many offspring.

 

Of course, as humans we often encounter situations far more sophisticated than "there is a predator approaching!!!!!" but, trouble is, our fear responses are the same. Our brain picks the right one based on instinct. We can bypass this somewhat with practice. That's why schools have periodic fire drills. The hope is that the kiddies do not try to hide in case of fire, or otherwise do something maladaptive, because they've practiced and practiced and the correct answer to a fire is in their little brains.

 

It's easy to say in the abstract "If I were in this situation, I'd choose to do something else", but unless you're in that situation, you don't know. Maybe in that situation your fear response won't kick in as strongly and you'll be able to make a reasoned decision. Maybe it will kick in, but you'll take one of the other options. (Hope you don't try flight, not on a plane. That could end badly.) Or maybe not.

[zimom]

I'm not trying to get off topic, but this very thing is what terrifies me when airlines do not to seat families together.  I was that child/teenager on the bus in middle school.  My parents did a great job raising me, IMO, but I was still a quiet, shy child and I never told anyone despite the fact that this went on NUMEROUS times and I could not get away from my abuser on the bus.  

 

I have one daughter who I also know would not speak up until just recently due to her personality and one that likely would.  

[gardenmom5]

If for some reason children were flying on the same flight as their father but were still being cared for under the auspices of the UM program then I would make darn sure they were not seated next to the father.  I may not know for sure why the father was not officially accompanying them, but custody battles can get ugly and abuse by family members is much more common than by strangers.  It the children were under my charge I would seat them away from the dad, keep an eagle eye on on them/him as often as possible and make ABSOLUTELY sure the dad did not have a chance to slip off with the kids after landing.

 

Wendy

 

he was accompanying them.  the FA was being sexist because he wasn't 'a mother'.

 

eta: the flight attendant didn't believe him when he said they were his kids.  it did progress to lawsuit stage, I just didn't hear the end-of.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2016 by gardenmom5

[Bluegoat]

I'm not surprised the girl didn't make more of a fuss.

 

I also don't think it's the airlines fault.  If a parent wants a child of any age to be chaperoned constantly, they need to pay someone to fly with the child.  If they want to be sure there is an empty seat or woman next to the child, then they probably need to pay for that as well, given the way airlines distribute seating.

 

Also - honestly, a 13 year old is probably not supervised constantly any more at home, and is probably going lots of places on her own.