Aussie model who avoided jail after drunken flight 'locked up indefinitely'
A Victorian model who avoided jail time in the US earlier this year after a physical altercation with a United Airlines crew member has been detained by US immigration “indefinitely”, her sister claims.
Adau Mornyang, a former Miss World Australia finalist, had faced up to 21 years behind bars in July for assaulting a flight attendant during a flight in January but escaped with 100 hours of community service and three years of probation.
Ms Mornyang apologised following the decision, labelling her actions, which saw her unleash a lengthy tirade at staff after consuming alcohol, as a “terrible mistake”.
The Sudanese-Australian model had been getting on with her life in the US, according to her sister Maria Mornyang, when she was detained by US immigration in September in a “surprise ambush”.
Her sister claims Ms Mornyang unknowingly had her visa revoked.
Taking to a newly created GoFundMe page, Maria Mornyang said US Immigration and Customs Enforcements had “illegally” detained her sister – a decision she claims was motivated from a judge’s decision not to jail Ms Mornyang.
Prosecutors had pushed for a month-long jail term for Ms Mornyang.
“My sister has been in Jail for over two months, she's not been given any trial since arrest by ICE nor found guilty of overstaying her visa, just kept in jail indefinitely,” she said.
“Adau expected that she was going to be deported after her arrest on September 17, 2019 - that didn't happen either.”
Maria Mornyang said attorneys are desperately trying to free her sister and the purpose of the GoFundMe campaign was to cover her ongoing legal costs.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia they are providing consular assistance to an Australian woman detained in the US but were unable to provide further comment due to “ privacy obligations”.
Yahoo News Australia has contacted the US immigration and Customs Enforcements for comment regarding Ms Mornyang’s situation.
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