Recently, Michelle Wilson, a 52-year-old British tourist, revealed she was sexually assaulted by her paragliding instructor during a holiday in Tunisia. The incident happened while she was floating more than 30 meters above the ground.
Michelle said the Tunisian man, who was strapped behind her during the tandem flight, groped her and kept whispering something in Arabic throughout the ride.
“I felt violated, dirty, and extremely scared,” Michelle shared.
Earlier, she and a friend planned to do tandem paragliding together, but staff informed them the wind was too strong. So they had to fly separately, each with their own guide.
Her friend flew first and had a great experience with no issues. Michelle said she clearly saw the distance between her friend and the instructor. But the experience was completely different for the mother of three from Southport, Merseyside.
Michelle said the young man pressed close and groped her during the thrilling paragliding trip in Tunisia
“I felt my bikini bottoms being pulled up, then he tightened the safety harness as if to press me closer. His legs wrapped around me, one hand holding the parachute gear, the other hand was not. I felt his hand touching my leg,” Michelle recalled.
“He groped and rubbed against me while whispering something in Arabic. I tried to arch my back and avoid him. I really felt violated. He was a young guy, about 20 years old, and I was completely helpless hanging in the air.”
Michelle broke down in tears as soon as she landed. She immediately reported the incident to the water sports center manager at the resort, then went to the local police station.
The trip to Sousse was a £6,000 (about 208 million VND) holiday Michelle organized herself. She traveled with her 17-year-old daughter, twin 16-year-old sons, and her daughter’s friend. But after the incident, she said she couldn’t enjoy the rest of the vacation at all.
“As a woman, you might be used to men in these countries catcalling. But this was not catcalling, it was an actual sexual assault,” Michelle said.
She believes the suspect has been arrested. Michelle is also receiving support from her insurance company and the UK Foreign Office.
EasyJet responded: “Customer safety and health are our top priorities. We continue to support Ms. Wilson and are working closely with the hotel partner to investigate the incident.”
