Morrissey has claimed that he was sexually assaulted by a member of airport security staff at San Francisco International Airport earlier this week.
Posting a statement on quasi-official fan site True To You, Morrissey alleged that the incident took place on Monday (July 27) as he prepared to board a British Airways flight to London.
“I went through the usual airport security procedure including the stand-up ‘scanner’, and all was well – no bleeps and nothing unusual,” Morrissey wrote.
He added: “Before I could gather my belongings from the usual array of trays I was approached by an ‘airport security officer’ who stopped me, crouched before me and groped my penis and testicles. He quickly moved away as an older ‘airport security officer’ approached.
“The officer who sexually assaulted me was identified as the General Manager On Duty. Luckily I was accompanied by two members of British Airways Special Services, who were horrified at the sexual attack and suggested that I lodge a complaint.”
The singer says that he was initially reluctant to filing a complaint, writing: “I asked if there would be any point in lodging a complaint since, as with any complaint against a figure in “authority”, the complaints are simply collected in order to protect the guilty officer should the matter go further.
“The British Airways Special Services employees assured me that a complaint was worthwhile, and so I filed the appropriate information.”
Morrissey also claims that the alleged offender denied that a sexual assault took place.
He revealed: “Apart from “that’s just your opinion”, he would not comment, even though, since the penis and testicles were mine and no one else’s, then my opinion must surely have some meaning. But, of course, what the airport security officer was saying was: your opinion will never count in the eyes of the law.
“The words “that’s just your opinion” volunteered themselves from this ‘officer’s’ mouth before he had even heard the question. He knew he could be confronted, but he also knew that he could never be challenged (even though the entire incident is most certainly on CCTV camera).
“In the interests of imperishable bureaucracy my submitted complaint against this ‘officer’ will obviously be either unread or ignored because, as we all know, on matters of officialism it is not possible to be pleasantly surprised by anything at all.
“However, what is clear is that, should you find yourself traveling through San Francisco International Airport, you should expect sexual abuse from the so-called ‘security officers’ who, we are unconvincingly warned, are acting only for our security.”
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