Passenger found not guilty by reason of insanity for mid-air sex attack

Sunday, 25 Feb, 2016 0

A man charged with attempted rape of a fellow passenger on a flight from Hawaii has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

A not guilty decision is ‘the only reasonable and sensible verdict,’ US District Judge Derrick Watson said, following a short trial.

Health evaluators concluded Michael Tanouye was unaware he was doing wrong due to severe mental illness, defense attorney Richard Sing said.

Tanouye forced his way into a bathroom on a Japan Airlines flight headed for Tokyo and sexually assaulted a woman who was returning home after a Hawaii vacation.

The woman’s mother, crew members and other passengers all tried to open the bathroom door after the emergency alarm was triggered and succeeded only when removing screws from the bathroom door hinges.

Tanouye’s mother earlier told a flight attendant he suffers from depression and is on medication, and requested not to serve him alcohol during the flight.

Following the attack he was subdued and fell asleep after taking more medication, court documents said.

The pilot opted to turn the plane around and return to Hawaii after the incident.

Tanouye is due to receive further mental health evaluations and another court hearing will determine if he is a danger to the general public.

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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