Attacked Mid-Flight
A young woman was left traumatised after being sexually assaulted while asleep on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to London Gatwick. The 24-year-old had fallen asleep under a blanket with her headphones on, only to wake up two hours before landing to discover the man next to her had pulled another blanket over them and was attacking her.
The assailant, 66-year-old Momade Jussab, was arrested when the plane landed at Gatwick. He was later found guilty of sexual assault and sexual assault by penetration and jailed for six and a half years. Jussab was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
A devastating aftermath
The woman, known publicly as “Kelly”, says the experience has had a profound and lasting effect on her life. She is now locked in a legal battle after discovering she is not eligible for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) — despite being a UK citizen and the case being prosecuted in British courts.
Under current rules, victims can only claim compensation if the crime occurred on a British-registered aircraft. As the assault took place on a foreign aircraft en route to the UK, her claim was denied.
Fighting for change
Kelly said: “It has felt so hard and so traumatising to think that anyone would ever want to do that to me. The shock and disbelief at what I have experienced will never go away. I will never understand how or why anyone would do that to a person.”
Her legal team, led by law firm Leigh Day, is now challenging the decision. They argue the rules are outdated and irrational — especially since the 1996 Civil Aviation Act was updated to allow UK courts to prosecute crimes on foreign aircraft heading to the UK.
Solicitor Claire Powell said: “This is very simple. Our client suffered a horrific attack. The law allows for the crime to be prosecuted in the UK, but she’s being denied compensation purely on a technicality that hasn’t been updated in almost 30 years. That needs to change.”
Pressure on ministers
Kelly has called on Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to urgently close the loophole: “I was attacked on a flight en route to the UK. I’m a British citizen, and the case was handled by British police and prosecutors. I should be entitled to compensation. Being excluded is unfair and illogical.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with this victim, and we remain resolute in our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. The rules that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority follows are set by Parliament.”
Despite the government’s commitment to tackling violence against women, Kelly’s case raises serious questions about whether current laws are doing enough to support victims of international crimes on UK-bound journeys.
