Taxi Terror as Women Fall Victim to Numerous Assaults
A string of assaults committed by taxi drivers in Stockholm has left several women severely traumatized and highlighted an unscrupulous system of abuse and inaction. “What was supposed to be a safe way home turned into a nightmare for many young women,” expresses Kalla Fakta’s series Inlåst. Preying on unsuspective young women, these drivers would deviate from their assigned routes, lock their vehicle doors and proceed to viciously assault their passengers.
The Dark Journey Home & Response from Authorities
“Olivia’s terrifying taxi ride home from a Summer 2020 party sparked the unmitigated story. When the ride also took a disturbing turn, she knew something nefarious was about to happen. Although she fought back ferociously and managed to escape her attacker, many were not as fortunate. Numerous assaults occurred – rapes, attempted rapes, and sexual assaults transpired until February 2022.
The police managed to identify the driver as Olivia had booked the taxi via Uber’s app. Despite swiftly connecting her attack to a previous incident involving the same driver, he continued to operate, committing further atrocities. His eventual arrest in Summer 2021 and the subsequent two-month delay in revoking his taxi license further underscore the inefficiencies and failings in the administrative processes.
Lessons Learned the Hard Way
One of the victims, known as ‘Klara,’ said that the traumatic incident still affected her negatively. “But I have chosen to think that it must not affect me so that I stop living. But I must continue to be myself,” she revealed, showing remarkable resilience.
Police officer Johan Rebas acknowledged the system’s shortcomings saying, “It is always a weakness when it comes to large geographical areas. Had the crimes taken place in one and the same police area, we would have been able to call the person in much earlier.”
Kalla Fakta’s investigation into the Swedish Transport Agency revealed lax systems enabling such drivers to continue to cause harm. Between 2016 and 2022, the agency revoked over 60 taxi identifications for drivers convicted of sexual offenses in their vehicles. On average, it took approximately six weeks to withdraw taxi identification post-information of the sexual crime, and in many cases, even longer.
The Fight Continues
Despite the horrifying experiences these women had to endure, there’s an underlying hope that from their painful experiences, necessary reforms and amendments can be made to ensure women are safe when making what should be simple, uneventful trips home. Changes such as continuous driver identification within platforms like Bolt have already been implemented. Actions to create accountability and a safer environment are steps in the right direction.
