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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Crime & Justice

ANA Captain Faces 2.5 Years for Groping Flight Attendant

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • An All Nippon Airways (ANA) captain faces a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for allegedly groping a female flight attendant.
  • The captain claims the encounter was consensual and that he believed they had established a trusting relationship.
  • The flight attendant vehemently denied consent, calling his claims lies, as the airline confirms he admitted to the act internally and has been removed from his captain duties.

An All Nippon Airways (ANA) captain is on trial, facing a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for allegedly groping a female flight attendant. The incident reportedly occurred on a street in Takamatsu city in October 2023.

Yes.

— ANA CaptainDuring a June hearing, when asked by his defense lawyer if he believed the flight attendant had consented.

The captain, who is in his 40s, allegedly used his position to touch the flight attendant's buttocks multiple times through her clothing. He is accused of leveraging his authority to make her fear negative career consequences if she resisted.

During a June hearing, the captain apologized to the victim but maintained that the encounter was consensual. He claimed he touched her buttocks because he "wanted to get closer" after she shared personal matters, leading him to believe they had built trust. The flight attendant, participating in the trial through the victim support system, angrily refuted his account, calling it "all lies" and questioning if he had a history of such behavior.

All lies. Did you have successful experiences with others before, that you acted so carelessly towards me?

— Female Flight AttendantResponding to the captain's claims of consent and building trust.

ANA has confirmed that the captain admitted to the groping during an internal investigation. He has already faced company disciplinary action and completed harassment prevention training, and has been removed from his captain position. The verdict in the case is expected on the 14th of this month.

I thought we had built a relationship and that she would accept me. I am very sorry that I caused harm.

— ANA CaptainApologizing after the victim's strong denial.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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