Two British flight attendants were allegedly drugged and then sexually assaulted during a recent work layover in Los Angeles. The female crew members had been partying at a club and carried on the party at a LA mansion when they were attacked by an as yet unidentified assailant.
News of the crime was first reported by The Sun who were contacted by internal sources. The newspaper did not disclose which airline the two cabin crew worked for. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the only UK-based airlines that operate regularly scheduled between London and Los Angeles.
The pair of flight attendants are said to have worked for the airline for several years. Their colleagues only became aware of the incident when one “broke down in tears” on the flight back to Britain.
“The women were working abroad and let their hair down one evening. They went to a posh club in Los Angeles and from there they went back to a mansion,” the anonymous airline source reportedly told the newspaper.
“They claim that they were drugged and sexually assaulted while they were at the mansion. It’s all very serious.”
A spokesperson for the airline that the two victims work for says it is taking the report “extremely seriously” and is providing the two crew members with “full support.” A report was made to British police via a third party and inquiries are still ongoing according to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police.
Thankfully, reports of serious crimes occurring to flight attendants during layovers remain incredibly rare but airline corporate security departments regularly warn staff about the dangers of travelling abroad.
Victims of sexual assault are advised to seek medical help as soon as possible and to consider whether they want to undergo a forensic medical examination as part of a criminal investigation. This advice, however, can be extremely difficult to take on board while in a foreign country and survivors often need time to think about what has happened to them.
Readers in the UK can find more information about support and advice that is available for sexual assault victims, as well as their family and friends on the Havens website.
