A British woman has shared a terrifying experience she had while on holiday in Tunisia. She claims she was sexually assaulted by a parasailing instructor during a flight over the coastal resort town of Sousse.
According to her account, the male instructor behaved inappropriately while they were both harnessed together in the air. She says he groped her and pressed his body against hers throughout the flight, leaving her feeling deeply uncomfortable and scared.
The woman, from Merseyside, said she originally booked the parasailing experience with a friend, hoping they could go up together. However, staff told them it was too windy for a tandem ride. Instead, each person was paired with a guide.
Her friend went first and didn’t report any issues. From the beach, she watched and noticed that there was a clear distance between her friend and the instructor. But when it was her turn, things were different.
She recalled how the instructor pulled on the straps of her bikini bottoms and adjusted the harness to bring her closer to him. She said his legs were around her, one of his hands was on the parachute, and the other was free to touch her. She described feeling him grope her leg, grind against her, and speak to her in Arabic. She said she felt helpless and scared, trapped in the air with nowhere to go.
After landing, she burst into tears and immediately reported the incident to the water sports centre manager. She then went straight to the local police.
The woman had booked the £6,000 package holiday through easyJet and was travelling with her children. She said the incident ruined the rest of her trip. “You expect a bit of flirty talk sometimes abroad, but this wasn’t playful — it was a serious assault,” she said.
She confirmed that the man has since been arrested and that both her insurance company and the UK’s Foreign Office are supporting her through the ordeal.
A spokesperson from easyJet commented, “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is a priority. We are in contact with the customer and working closely with the hotel partner to understand what happened.”
