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“Offensive”: Father Traveling With Teen Daughter Mistaken For Human Trafficker By Cabin Crew
A Virginia man had a confused reaction when he was profiled as a potential human trafficker by Southwest Airlines while traveling with his teen daughter and her friend.
John Kerrigan was boarding his connecting flight from Denver International Airport on October 21 for the final leg of his trip when the cabin crew flagged him down.
Highlights
- A father was mistaken for a human trafficker while traveling with his daughter and her friend.
- Flight crew contacted police due suspicions mid-flight.
- The father found the accusations humiliating.
As Kerrigan left his seat to use the restroom, a flight attendant approached the 15- and 16-year-olds to ask a few questions about their relationship with him.
RELATED:
A Virginia father was labeled a possible human trafficker during his connecting flight while he traveled with his daughter and her friend
Image credits: WAVY TV 10
“She keeps asking if we’re alright and if we know you,” Kerrigan remembered his daughter telling him, according to WAVY. “And I said it seemed strange.”
Unbeknownst to the travelers, the cabin crew had contacted airport police during the flight, due to suspicions of human trafficking—and Kerrigan was seen as a person of interest.
When the plane arrived at the gate in Norfolk, passengers were instructed to stay put. Three airport officers then walked to the back, where Kerrigan and the girls were seated.
“[They said], ‘Sir, would you follow us? We’d like to ask you some questions,” Kerrigan said.
Image credits: WAVY TV 10
He was escorted off the plane, an act that he found rather humiliating and rude.
“I said, ‘This is offensive.’ I did find it very offensive. I mean, I hadn’t done anything wrong,” he explained.
Authorities questioned Kerrigan for about 20 minutes before letting him go without charging or detaining him.
A program created by the Department of Homeland Security outlines a guide for airport and aviation staff to spot possible indicators of human trafficking
Image credits: WAVY TV 10
The Blue Lightning Initiative outlines a list of actions for “airports, airlines, and aviation staff” to watch out for to become more familiar with signs of human trafficking.
One of these signs is “a non-genuine relationship: particularly with a parent or guardian and a child.” Once detected, Southwest employees must immediately contact law enforcement officials, as stated on their website.
Image credits: WAVY TV 10
According to Fox 59, while Kerrigan agrees that these measures should be implemented, he believes last week’s incident could have been handled better.
“That was just a horrible way to go about it,” he said. “We all would like for them to catch child traffickers. That’s a worthy goal. But to humiliate somebody?”
The incident seemed to divide commenters on social media, with some saying safety should always remain the number one priority
“Airline staff are not in anyway law enforcement and should not receive any training for this type of incident,” wrote someone. “Two instances in this story proves that, I hope the gentleman in this article sues and wins. In the meantime bring me a coffee.”
A user replied, “I disagree. Though embarrassing, [even] angering, the flight attendants did the right thing. Human traffickers are often sophisticated, and their victims indoctrinated.”
Another echoed, “He should be thankful they were making sure the girls were safe! What if they’d been with someone dangerous? Yes, being questioned is unsettling at the time, but easily corrected.”
“Better to be safe than sorry!” read one of the comments
What do you think ?
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 month ago
If he HAD been doing something shady with these two girls on the flight (either as a trafficker or someone who is harassing them, as we've read stories of on other flights and the young woman had to try to escape) then the airline and the crew would have been seen as heroes. I don't know what kind of answers the two girls gave while dad was in the bathroom but obviously something didn't seem right to the staff. Nobody wants to be accused of something they didn't do, but it's better to be extra diligent than it is to be complacent. Young peoples lives are at stake. His dignity after this slight "humiliation" will survive.
Satirecatsaysno 1 month ago
Those comments saying they hope he has a good lawyer and that he'll be flying for free are pathetic! The flight attendants did their job. They weren't wrong. They simply followed protocol. It's fantastic that he was their father and wasn't a trafficker which was was determined right and correct by the authorities. But the crew were right and I hope this incident doesn't deter them from following protocol again in the future.
Inglourioustmnt 1 month ago
They have the id of everyone travelling before they actually board the plane. They could have easily found out they were father/daughter
Load More Replies...
Max Fox 1 month ago
I also am worndering what the girls told the flight crew? Of course, a young person will often be flustered when approached by fight crew, especially if the flight crew member is starting the conversation with a prior assumption that they are dealing with a trafficking situation. In fact, when the flight crew have preconceived notions of what a trafficking situation looks like, and believe that there are magic questions that will reveal this, it becomes far easier for traffickers to play this system, and give the flight crew the responses that they expect to hear (and to coach the people being trafficked in the "correct" responses). In sort, it's good that the flight crew was alert, but I hope that they are getting the correct type of training.
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 month ago
If he HAD been doing something shady with these two girls on the flight (either as a trafficker or someone who is harassing them, as we've read stories of on other flights and the young woman had to try to escape) then the airline and the crew would have been seen as heroes. I don't know what kind of answers the two girls gave while dad was in the bathroom but obviously something didn't seem right to the staff. Nobody wants to be accused of something they didn't do, but it's better to be extra diligent than it is to be complacent. Young peoples lives are at stake. His dignity after this slight "humiliation" will survive.
Satirecatsaysno 1 month ago
Those comments saying they hope he has a good lawyer and that he'll be flying for free are pathetic! The flight attendants did their job. They weren't wrong. They simply followed protocol. It's fantastic that he was their father and wasn't a trafficker which was was determined right and correct by the authorities. But the crew were right and I hope this incident doesn't deter them from following protocol again in the future.
Inglourioustmnt 1 month ago
They have the id of everyone travelling before they actually board the plane. They could have easily found out they were father/daughter
Load More Replies... Max Fox 1 month ago
I also am worndering what the girls told the flight crew? Of course, a young person will often be flustered when approached by fight crew, especially if the flight crew member is starting the conversation with a prior assumption that they are dealing with a trafficking situation. In fact, when the flight crew have preconceived notions of what a trafficking situation looks like, and believe that there are magic questions that will reveal this, it becomes far easier for traffickers to play this system, and give the flight crew the responses that they expect to hear (and to coach the people being trafficked in the "correct" responses). In sort, it's good that the flight crew was alert, but I hope that they are getting the correct type of training.
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