A businessman has been convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on a Swiss flight.
The perpetrator was on a business trip to Belgium when he committed the crime in March.
The girl and the man had a brief, superficial conversation before the minor fell asleep.
The man then approached her and performed sexual acts on her and himself.
He confessed to the acts in the Bülach District Court and stated that he realized he had made a mistake.
He also admitted that the young woman had not consented.
It comes as, after controversial debates, the National Council of Switzerland and the Council of States agreed on the formula ‘no means no.’
The amendment came into effect a year ago and means rape is now considered to have occurred if the victim indicates through words or gestures that they do not consent to the sexual act.
A businessman has been convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on a Swiss flight (stock image)
The 44-year-old married man attacked the teenager, who was sitting next to him, after she fell asleep during the nine-hour journey from Mumbai to Zurich (stock image)
Before the amendment, rape only occurred if the perpetrator threatened the victim or used violence.
Furthermore, the crime of rape no longer encompasses only forced sexual intercourse with a woman, but now also includes acts similar to sexual intercourse involving physical penetration.
The victim’s state of shock is sufficient as a sign of rejection.
The man was convicted of rape and sexual acts with a child.
The man received a suspended sentence of 1.5 years, but will not need to serve it as he has been in custody since March.
The judge described the sentence as rather lenient and ‘barely appropriate.’
The man is banned from entering Switzerland for the next five years and is prohibited from engaging in any activity involving regular contact with minors for life.
The proceedings will cost him approximately CHF 9,000 (£8,250). The confiscated CHF 1,360 (£1,247) will be used to cover these costs.
After the trial, the man was released from custody and handed over to the Migration Office for deportation.
