SINGAPORE, May 15 — A 20-year-old Indian national has been sentenced to three weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to molesting a stewardess on a Singapore Airlines flight.
The incident occurred on February 28 when Rajat (one name only), a university student in Australia, was traveling from Perth to Singapore, The Straits Times reported.
At 11.20 am on the day, while the stewardess was cleaning a restroom and bent down to pick up toilet paper, Rajat placed both his hands on her hips near her buttocks and pushed his way into the toilet, forcing her inside as well.
A female passenger who witnessed the incident quickly pulled the stewardess out of the restroom and took her to the back of the plane to help her recompose and avoid further contact with Rajat.
Despite his actions, Rajat later requested to speak privately with the stewardess.
Rajat was arrested upon the plane’s arrival at Changi Airport.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Lau, who sought a prison term of three to six weeks, noted that the stewardess suffered psychological harm, feeling afraid, disgusted, and humiliated by the incident.
The prosecution highlighted the aggravating factor that the offence was committed on an aircraft, describing commercial air travel as “a high-pressure environment involving close physical proximity” where it’s harder to detect unwanted contact and victims have no means of escape or access to law enforcement mid-flight.
Defence lawyer Ranjit Singh argued for a fine or a short one-week custodial sentence, citing his client’s clean record and good conduct at school.
Under Singapore law, those convicted of molestation can be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of these punishments.