Featured Image Credit: Pakphipat Charoenrach/Getty
Topics: Crime, Travel, World News
Emily Brown
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
A British mom has spoken out about an alleged assault she experienced from a parasailing instructor while mid-flight on a vacation in Tunisia.
Michelle Wilson, 52, has shared her claims after returning from the trip to Sousse, Tunisia, which she'd gone on with her daughter, 17, her 16-year-old twin boys, and her daughter’s friend.
The mom spent almost $8,000 on the vacation and was anticipating a thrill ride when she booked a tandem parasail flight.
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Michelle had initially planned to go on the tandem flight with a friend, but on the day they learned it was too windy, so she went with an operator instead.
The friend went up first, and reportedly had a 'great time, with no problems', Michelle told The Sun.
However, when it was Michelle's turn, she claimed the operator pressed himself against her, and groped her during the experience.
She explained: "I could feel the back of my bikini bottoms being pulled and he was pulling the strap. He must have been tightening the harness to get me closer. His legs straddled around me, he had one hand up on the parachute, the other wasn’t. Then I felt him touch my leg.
“He was groping me and moving back and forth into me and talking to me in Arabic. I felt him pressing against me. I kept arching my back. I felt violated and dirty and was scared. He was only a young lad, maybe around 20."
Describing the whole ordeal as 'horrible', Michelle added: "I was really scared. I felt helpless hanging in the air.”
When she landed, Michelle said she burst into tears and immediately complained to the center’s manager, then to the local police.
She said: “As women you expect a bit of banter from men in these countries, but this wasn’t banter, it was a sexual assault.”
Michelle understands her attacker has since been arrested. Meanwhile, her insurance firm and the Foreign Office are assisting in the case.
EasyJet, the company with which Michelle booked her vacation, commented: "The safety and wellbeing of our customers is a priority, and we are continuing to support Ms Wilson.
“We are also liaising closely with our hotel partner to look into the reports.”
Located approximately 86 miles south of the capital, Tunis, Sousse is a coastal city with popular attractions including sandy beaches and historical sites like the Great Mosque, as well as a lively nightlife.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org