A man has been found guilty of a "despicable" attempted rape on an EasyJet flight travelling from Naples to Edinburgh, after targeting a woman travelling alone.
Despicable Attack on a Lone Passenger
Nicola Cristiano, aged 45, deliberately moved seats on the flight to sit next to his victim on Tuesday, 13 May 2025. The court heard how he then carried out a sickening sexual assault during the journey.
It was only when Cristiano later moved to a different part of the aircraft that the distressed woman was able to alert the cabin crew to the attack. She was immediately taken to another section of the plane, where flight attendants looked after her for the remainder of the flight.
Arrest and Conviction at the High Court
Upon landing at Edinburgh Airport, police were waiting and Cristiano was arrested. Following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, he was found guilty of attempted rape on Friday, 9 December.
Detective Chief Inspector Steph Garnett, from Police Scotland’s Public Protection Unit, strongly condemned Cristiano's premeditated actions. "He deliberately approached a woman travelling alone on a flight and sexually assaulted her," she stated.
Police Praise Victim's Courage and Urge Others to Come Forward
DCI Garnett described it as "fortunate" that the victim got an opportunity to raise the alarm. She expressed hope that the conviction would bring some comfort to the woman and encourage other victims of sexual crime to report incidents.
"We will thoroughly investigate reports made to us and we have specially trained officers to provide support," Garnett affirmed. She reminded the public that reports can be made via 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Nicola Cristiano is now awaiting sentencing, which will take place at a later date.
