Woman sexually assaulted on plane refused compensation

Last year, it was September when 24 -year -old Kelly was on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to London Gatwick after a trip to Africa.

He quickly fell asleep after a tiring travel day, stuck under a blanket and his headphones were tightly open. The silent murmuring of the sounds from the film that played on the screen helped him drift on a full flight overnight.

But two hours before the descent, Kelly, whose name was changed for this article, woke up by the man who was sitting next to him and sexually assaulted.

The man in his 60s is now imprisoned, but Kelly finds it hard to continue his daily life and is locked in a war for compensation.

Talking for the first time in the infuriating, BBC tells the BBC that the man has taken a second blanket to both before the attack.

“His hands were in my pants and I said to him, ‘What are you doing?’ I said ‘stop’, ‘No, and I took his hand out of my pants. [and] He said to the flight officer, “he says.

Kelly was initially moved to a cabin crew chair before moving to another part of the cabin.

“I had to endure the rest of the flight from the flight,” Kelly remembers. “I was very worried … Everyone who walked would panic instantly because I thought it would happen.”

66 -year -old Momade Jussab was arrested as soon as the flight came to Gatwick. Later, a number was accused of penetration and two sexual assaults and found guilty after a hearing in March. He is currently sentenced to six and a half years of imprisonment.

Although Kelly was pleased that he was sentenced, he said that the impact of the attack on him was severe.

“I haven’t gone out for almost a year – with my friends or summer parties. I can’t do this. I’m very scared. I don’t want to touch or look. So he never leaves me.

Kelly is now fighting for compensation under the government’s criminal injury compensation plan (CICS).

The program compensates for people who are physically or mentally injured as a result of a violent crime. According to CICS guidance, sexual or physical abuse victims may be compensated.

However, Kelly was rejected when he applied to the compensation plan in April.

A letter from the Penal Injury Compensation Authority (CICA), which processes applications on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, said that the crime has not been “about a place” as described by the plan. He appealed against the decision, but was rejected in May.

If the current rules of the program are considered only a “relevant place” of a plane, it was said that Kelly was not suitable for numbness because a British plane in the sense of the 92th of the 1982 Civil Aviation Law, because it occurred on a registered plane of Qataria. He believes it is unfair.

Kelly, “I understand that he is hidden and did what he did and pays the price. But what about me? I can’t meet a certain therapy.” He said. “I just want to be compensated for what I live. I want professional help and I want to be heard.”

Leight’s lawyers argue that the decision is “irrational”.

Civil Aviation Law was amended in 1996, so that the crimes committed in foreign planes affiliated to the UK may be tried in the Criminal Courts of the UK. This change meant that Jussab could be arrested and accused when the Qatar Airways flight landed last fall.

However, the victims in these cases still cannot claim compensation.

Leigh Day also wants the change to apply to the CICS scheme, so that people like Kelly can apply successfully for compensation.

Justice secretary Shabana calls Mahmood to close what it calls gap in the law.

“Within the scope of the current plan, Leigh Day’s Claire Powell was found to be appropriate for a violent sexual assault on a British registered aircraft, while the same violent attack victim on a flight of England, where the perpetrator is tried according to British laws -,” he said.

I urgently asked for “this government to change in the light of the commitment to violence against women and girls”.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “Our thoughts remain with this sacrifice and we are determined in our mission to half -reducing violence against women and girls in ten years.

“Criminal injury compensation authority followed by the rules and the values of the injury payments are determined by the parliament. There are other ways for the victims to receive support.”

In addition to the struggle for compensation, Kelly says that she speaks to persuade women to be aware of their environment and others while traveling on public transportation when they are alone.

“Please be aware. Please be careful. Don’t be afraid, but people can really harm there, so always be careful. This may be you.”

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