British Airways to compensate children sexually abused by pilot

The flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom British Airways has agreed to pay undisclosed amount of money to children who were sexually abused by one of its pilots in East Africa.

Simon Wood took his own life in 2013 after he was accused of sexually assaulting children.

He was hit by a train 11 days before he was due to appear in a UK Court and charged with abuse in Africa and the UK.

British Airways agreed to the payment but denied liability.

Wood had been charged with one count of indecent assault of a girl under 16, two counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and one count of possessing indecent images of a child.

An inquest in July 2014 ruled that he had taken his own life, following accusations which included allegations, that he abused children in Africa, while doing voluntary work for the airline.

Lawyers claimed the airline is responsible because the alleged victims were assaulted by Wood while he was on stopovers.

A mother of two of the alleged victims, aged nine and 16, said Wood took them all to a Hotel in Nairobi during stopovers in Kenya and showered her children with gifts.

In Africa, he allegedly molested girls between the ages of five and 13 in schools and orphanages in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania between 2003 and 2013, law firm Leigh Day said in July 2014.