An inebriated man groped a 16-year-old girl and her mother on a Delta Air Lines flight during a nine-hour journey from JFK Airport in New York to Athens, Greece, earlier last week. According to a report by Fox Business, the man was served at least 10 vodka drinks and a glass of wine before groping the mother and her teenage daughter. The woman, who recently filed a $2-million lawsuit against Delta Air Lines, alleged that the crew members "blatantly ignored" her repeated requests for help and shockingly advised the victims to "avoid talking to the accused".
As per the lawsuit filed by the mother, the airline, despite knowing the aggressive and unruly behaviour of the man, continued to serve drinks even though he was noticeably drunk. "The intoxicated Delta passenger appeared to be getting drunker and drunker as the Delta flight attendants continued serving him alcohol," the news website quoted the complaint.
Accused also made obscene gestures: Victim
Recalling the horrible incident, the woman said that the intoxicated man was seated next to the plaintiffs on the flight. As he got drunk, he attempted to speak with the 16-year-old girl, despite knowing she did not pay attention. Angered, the drunk became aggressive toward the girl and began yelling at her. "He also made obscene gestures, demanded to know her address and other personal information and grabbed her, putting his hands on her back, which "frightened" her, the lawsuit claims.
Later, the mother told the accused that her daughter was a minor but the intoxicated man allegedly replied that he did not care. Surprisingly, when the woman told flight attendants that she and her daughter were feeling unsafe and urged them to provide alternate seats, they told them to just "be patient" and walked away.
Flight attendants say they could not help
The teen was terrified and began to have a panic attack. She put her head down in her mother's lap, and that's when the man allegedly slid his clammy fingers underneath her shirt and groped for the clasp on her bra strap, Fox Business reported. "Trembling, petrified and crying," the teen leapt out of her seat and away from the man, the lawsuit states. Subsequently, the man also started touching the woman inappropriately-- placed his hand on the mother's leg and allegedly began moving his hand up the inside of her thigh.
The terrified woman again asked the flight attendants to change their seats but they allegedly said there was nothing they could do. Later, the crew permitted the drunken man to exit the plane at its destination in Athens without alerting local authorities or US law enforcement. After landing at the destination, the flight attendants offered the woman and her daughter 5,000 free airline miles and an apology.
"Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and our people," the airline told Fox Business without elaborating on the action it has taken against the unruly passenger.
