This Twitter User Got Sexually Harassed On A Flight. The Man Begged Her To Not File A Complaint As It Was His “First” Offence
Post the #MeeToo Movement, women across the world are using social media as a tool of power and sharing incidents of those times when they are harassed and coming out as victims of abuse. As a mere reader, reading the comments when internet users offer support to the woman itself feels overwhelming and it leaves a feeling of anger against the perpetrator. Recently, a Twitter user also shared her experience of the sexual harassment she faced while she was on a flight flying to Chennai from Jeddah. She also went on to recount in detail how the airport staff helped her when she approached for help to them.
The Twitter user who goes by the username @chamathukodam started her Twitter thread with a sexual harassment trigger warning and said that while she was on the flight, she felt something brush up against her breast. She thought she saw a palm ‘retracting’ but thought she was imagining things. But after some time, a hand reached out again to ‘feel’ her and that is when it was confirmed that someone was touching her.
[TW Sexual Harassment] – 🧵Yesterday I flew @SaudiAirlinesEn to Chennai from Jeddah (connecting at JED from LAX). I had a window seat on this leg to MAA and was traveling solo. In the last hour of my flight to MAA, I felt something rub against the side of my left breast.
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
I assumed it was my scarf or top initally and readjusted it and continued to watch the onboard media. I felt the same rubbing feeling again and without moving I looked through the corner of my eyes. I saw a palm retract. I thought I was seeing things and did not change position
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
but continued to act as if I was doing what i am doing. And there I saw a hand come again to feel me and since i mildly moved even left the hand was trying to search to feel me. I was absolutely LIVID! I was shaking with anger and fear! But I knew what I had to do.
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
She further wrote that she immediately confronted the guy and he profusely started apologising. He even asked her to not create ‘a scene’.
I immediately stood up and confronted the guy sitting right behinde me. The moment I asked him "Arivu Ille? Padichavan Thane Nee? kaiya Vechitu Summa Iruka matiya?", he immediately started apologizing "Sorry madam sorry madam, theriyama panniten. Please don't create a scene."
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
She then went to the airline staff for help who have her water and helped her calm down.
I stormed off to inform the onboard crew and the ladies were absolutely the sweetest bunch. They gave me water and reassured me and while I calmed down from my shaking, a male member of the crew went to have a word with the guy.
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
She also said that she insisted on filing an official complaint as well and when she went back to her seat, the harasser had changed his seat.
I insisted with the female crew that I wanted to file an official complaint. While the senior crew lead (a male), explained to me the paperwork involved (and I felt that he was deterring me from filing the complaint), I firmly stood my ground on filing the complaint.
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
Meanwhile, when I went back to my seat, the harasser had changed his seat and there wasn't anyone. So I was asked by the female staff to identify the person and I identified the guy (he had changed his seat to a few seats across). I filed a written complaint with Saudia and the
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
The crew also took his passport away and the captain informed the ground crew.
crew took away his passport and the captain informed the ground crew. Once we landed, there were CRPF jawans and ground airport officials waiting for the dude! I was also taken separately and was calmed down and reassured by the ground staff (airline and airport).
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
Everyone (esp the female staff) insisted that I file a complaint with the police as well. So the accused and I were escorted to the S2 Airport Police Station where I formally lodged a complaint against the guy. The entire time, the guy kept begging me to not file a complaint.
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
What was really shocking was what she wrote next. The harasser was asking her to not file a complaint because apparently, he was a doctor and had a wife and a daughter as well. He said filing a complaint would ruin him and his career.
The reasons he gave me ranged from "Its my first time doing such an offense" to "I am a Doctor, my career will be spoiled" to "I have a wife and a daughter". I am absolutely beyond disgusted at educated men like these have the gall to do such horrible such.
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
The guy hails from Tanjore, has a MD in community health medicine, went to Tanjore medical college, his dad is a doctor, his brother is a doctor, works in Jeddah at King Khalid Medical Hospital. I only feel sorry for all his female patients.
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
At this point, I would like to thank the staff and crew of @SaudiAirlinesEn for showing utmost care and helping with the process, the inspector and the other police members of S2 Police Station for jumping into investigating my complaint, and the other staff of @aaichnairport ..
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) June 19, 2022
Lastly, she went on to thank the staff and crew of the airline for their promptness and help.
Also read: Twitter User Points Out How Women Having To Seek “Permission” For Little Things From Husbands Causes Anxiety. It’s Deplorable!
It is really disgusting to see well-learned men trying to get out of such grave situations by giving lame excuses as this man did.
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