Flight attendant facing serious charges.
A 54-year-old former Qantas flight attendant is due in court to face charges of committing an act of indecency whilst on shift.
The unnamed man is accused of exposing himself to a female colleague mid-flight on a trip from Perth to Melbourne last year.
His alleged victim sent text messages to a friend during the flight about the man’s alleged behaviour and how distressed she felt.
She reported the allegations to police when she returned to Perth a few days later, resulting in charges being filed against the man.
The incident occurred in April 2019, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic proceedings were delayed until now.
The former Qantas staff member could face seven years in prison if found guilty.
“This case should serve as a warning to people that illegal behaviour in the air will be prosecuted on the ground,” Senior Constable Steve Proud of the Australian Federal Police commented.
“There is no excuse for these actions on an aircraft or anywhere else – everyone is entitled to be free from harassment, unwanted attention or indecent acts.”
The man, a resident of New South Wales, was terminated by Qantas following a workplace investigation.
“As soon as this incident was reported we immediately conducted a workplace investigation and terminated his employment,” a Qantas spokesperson explained.
“We have zero tolerance for any form of harassment. Everyone has the right to feel safe and respected when they come to work.”
In 2018, a survey published by Australia’s Transport Workers Union found that almost two-thirds of cabin crew faced sexual harassment at work.
70 percent of them refused to report the incident over fears that it would aggravate the situation or that it would not be handled well by the management.
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