PETALING JAYA: An Australian woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by the chief steward on a Malaysia Airline flight to Paris is suing the airline under the Montreal Convention for AUD200,000 (about RM616,000).

Laura Bushney, 28, travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Paris with Malaysia Airlines on Aug 4, 2014.

Her alleged attacker, Chief Steward Mohd Rosli Bin Ab Karim, is currently on bail in France awaiting trial after allegedly confessing to the crime and being charged by French authorities.

Bushney’s statement of claim was filed by Shine Lawyers in the Federal Court of Western Australia, reports news.com.au.

The news portal said details of the alleged ordeal, which continued for several hours of the 13-hour flight, were given in the statement.

The statement said Bushney informed the cabin crew of her fear of flying and Rosli promised to “check on her.”

She claimed that during the flight, Rosli gave her a foot rub, and rubbed her stomach and thighs. Eventually, he put his hand inside her pants and touched her genitalia.

When she vomited, Rosli walked away, she said. On arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport, she told a Malaysia Airlines official she had been sexually assaulted.

French police took the chief steward to a police station within the airport and Bushney agreed to undergo DNA testing. Rosli was later charged and freed on bail.

Malaysia Airlines terminated Rosli’s employment two weeks after the alleged incident.

Under the Montreal Convention, Bushney had two years to seek compensation based on physical injuries she suffered in the attack as well as financial losses.

She claimed her “bodily injuries” included genital trauma and redness, abrasions, physical manifestations from the shock of the assault, including tears and sleeplessness, racing heart, nausea and post-traumatic stress disorder.










by noreply@blogger.com (Rakyat Sembang) via BERITA RAKYAT