Parents falsely accused of trafficking their own children accuse airlines of racial profiling

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery MacCarthy is suing Southwest Airlines after she was suspected by staff of child trafficking “What I found most upsetting was her claims that I was dishonest,” Ms MacCarthy says. “She questions why I would point out that Moira is ‘only 10’, repeatedly saying ‘she’s overtly lying’.” The flight attendant also suggests that Ms McCarthy fabricated her brother’s death, telling an officer: “We don’t even know if her brother died.” “Instead of seeing us as a grieving family headed to a funeral, the flight attendant decides that Moira is ‘fearful’ of me, and that it’s strange that she never hears Moira never directly address me as ‘Mom’,” Ms MacCarthy told The Independent. open image in gallery MacCarthy speaking to airline staff and Denver police after disembarking from a Southwest Airlines flight Ms MacCarthy alleges in the lawsuit that allegations of child trafficking came “for no reason other than the different color of her daughter’s skin from her own”. “And the information that airlines have and have access to prior to flight and during flight, gives them a vast amount of information to determine whether any trafficking is actually taking place.” open image in gallery Marcu said his experience of being questioned for human trafficking on a Spirit Airlines flight was ‘horrible’ Trumped-up accusations of parents being involved in human trafficking often make headlines.