Former WestJet employee says positive response to sex-assault story ‘wonderful’
VANCOUVER — A former WestJet flight attendant who lost her job after she reported being allegedly sexually assaulted by a pilot says she’s been shocked by the positive response she’s received since sharing her story, despite initial fears of a public backlash.
Mandalena Lewis, 30, said she decided to go public with her story in hopes of inspiring other woman to break their silence, and that she hopes the overwhelming support she’s received so far suggests a cultural shift that will make it easier for victims to report sex crimes.
“The support has been amazing. I’m pretty shocked, in a good way,” Lewis said in an interview. ”It’s wonderful. It means that things are changing, things are changing and the times are changing.”
She said she was fearful of how the public and media would react, in part after witnessing the treatment of women involved in other sexual-assault cases, singling out the recently concluded trial of former CBC radio personality Jian Ghomeshi, who has pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual assault and a choking charge. A judge in Toronto is scheduled to give his verdict in the case on March 24.