A British mother from Merseyside says she was sexually assaulted by a parasailing instructor during a holiday in Tunisia while suspended in the air.
She claims the male instructor groped her and pressed his body against hers as they were strapped together in a tandem parasail flight above the coastal resort town of Sousse.
Speaking to The Sun, she described the experience as “violating, dirty, and scary,” adding that she felt completely helpless while airborne.
She had booked the £6,000 EasyJet holiday with her children and arranged a tandem parasailing session with a friend. But when staff said it was too windy for two people to fly together, they were told to each go up with an instructor.
Her friend went first and returned without incident. But when it was her turn, she says the experience turned into a nightmare.
“I could feel the back of my bikini bottoms being pulled he was tightening the harness to bring me closer. His legs were straddled around me. One hand was on the parachute, the other wasn’t. Then I felt him touch my leg.”
“He started groping me, grinding into me, and speaking to me in Arabic. I kept arching my back to get away. I felt completely violated.”
She said the man appeared to be in his early 20s.
“It wasn’t banter it was sexual assault. I was terrified and couldn’t do anything. I was just hanging there in the air.”
She burst into tears upon landing and immediately reported the incident to the manager of the water sports center, then went to the local police. She says the man was later arrested.
She also informed her travel insurance provider and contacted the UK Foreign Office, which is now offering support.
“I couldn’t enjoy the rest of the trip. I just wanted to go home.”
An EasyJet spokesperson said:
“The safety and wellbeing of our customers is a priority, and we are continuing to support the customer. We are also liaising closely with our hotel partner to investigate the incident.”
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