American Airlines flight attendants have been warned against using dating apps in Jamaica following a string of violent assaults against foreigners that triggered a specific security alert from the U.S. Embassy in the island nation. American Airlines flight attendants who were visiting the island for layovers were recently the targets of two “violent” crimes in Jamaica. The airline, which has its headquarters in Dallas-Fort Worth, did not immediately provide an update on the well-being of its staff.
The security alert comes just months after an 18-year-old man had his penis partially severed and was set on fire after he went to an area in Montego Bay to meet a man he had been talking to on a gay dating app. Another recent incident included a 25-year-old woman who was allegedly raped in Norwood by a man she met through a dating app. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), representing American Airlines crew members, warned its members that “two of our APFA colleagues were victims of violent crimes while on a layover in Jamaica”. “This is following an uptick in activity targeted against foreign visitors to the country,” the warning continued.
“The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica has been informed of several crimes against United States citizens targeted through dating apps. These apps are being used to lure foreign visitors into a meeting in public spaces such as hotels, restaurants, and bars, and then later assaulting, threatening, and/or robbing the victims. Local officials often do not make arrests or prosecute assailants in these cases.”
The union has advised flight attendants to maintain closely-kept secrets about the hotels used for layovers. “Inviting strangers into your private and safe space within your hotel rooms may open the door for you to be placed in an unsafe and possibly life-threatening situation,” a recent memo continued. The Jamaican government declared a state of emergency toward the end of last year in an effort to combat a spike in violent crime that had hit popular tourist destinations like Montego Bay, but the U.S. Embassy warns that police rarely apprehend attackers or pursue charges for crimes committed against the LGBTQI+ community using dating apps.