Assault at 35,000 feet: The disturbing rise of sexual misconduct in the skies

Evidence suggests reports of misconduct in the skies are increasing (Picture: Getty Images)

The lights had barely dimmed after meal service on a 14-hour flight from Santiago to Paris, when a piercing scream shattered the plane cabin’s silence.

A young woman in the row beside me suddenly leapt from her seat, visibly shaken, before rushing towards the galley. Moments later, cabin crew began quietly questioning nearby passengers.

I wasn’t entirely sure what had happened. One flight attendant later told me that a male passenger, believed to be in his late teens or early twenties, had allegedly assaulted the woman while she was sleeping.

Another passenger claime...