The FBI says that sexual assaults on flights are increasing “at an alarming rate” and they’re unsure why, NBC News reported.
FBI Special Agent David Rodski said last week that reports of sexual assault on planes went up to 63 reports last year — a 66 percent increase from 38 investigated in 2014. And the victims aren’t just passengers. They’re flight attendants, too. A recent survey conducted for the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union found that more than two-thirds of its members have experienced in-air sexual harassment.
The latest figures still likely represent just a fraction of such incidents, since assault victims often choose not to come forward, and even if they do, there’s no regulatory agency that comprehensively tracks the reports.
Some politicians are trying to respond to the issue through legislation, like the Stopping Assault While Flying Enforcement Act of 2017, would require all air carriers operating in U.S. skies to train flight personnel on how to respond to sexual assaults. It would also allow the Department of Transportation to establish a National In-Flight Sexual Assault Task Force that would create a “streamlined process for reporting incidents.”
Source : Nbcnewyork
