In an exclusive investigation by CNN, it was found that 103 Uber drivers have been accused of sexual misconduct ranging from abuse and assault to rape. These findings weren’t localized to one region, either, as accusations were reported across the country—in San Diego, Miami, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Seattle, Denver, Boston, and other major cities.
The investigation’s findings are relegated to the past four years, for Uber drivers who were accused of sexually assaulting or abusing their passengers, arrested, wanted by police, or named in related civil suits. At least 31 of the 103 drivers have been convicted for abuses ranging from false imprisonment and forcible touching to rape. Dozens of these cases are currently pending. This investigation is based on reviews of police reports, court records, and county court databases for 20 major cities across the country.
In one case in San Diego, a woman was so intoxicated during her Uber ride home that she vomited and passed out. When she woke up, she was being raped by her driver one block away from her destination. She escaped and called the police, who arrested driver John David Sanchez and found videos of him raping women and abusing teenagers on his computer. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison for the rape that got him caught and charged with 33 other counts including sexual assault of nine women and children, many of whom he drugged. Unfortunately, Sanchez is merely one of the 103 accused.
Another woman in Miami took an Uber home one night and passed out in the backseat, only to wake up the following morning with her pants and underwear on the floor. Her driver allegedly carried her into her apartment and sexually assaulted her. The driver reportedly told police he was aware she was intoxicated and he was “wrong for what he did.”
“You are pretty much hitchhiking with strangers,” the victim said. “How many people is it going to take to get assaulted before something is done?”
In Long Beach, California, a woman who fell asleep in her Uber woke up to the driver assaulting her. He was arrested the following day and claimed it was a consensual experience—with the district attorney dropping charges against him. The woman is now suing Uber.
“You don't think it will happen to you,” she said. “I still feel ashamed...that’s why I’m here. I want a voice. (I’m) tired of being quiet.”
Uber is valued at $70 billion and offers its services in 630 cities across the globe, providing 15 million rides per day. While the company’s message is “a safe ride home” and DUIs have dropped significantly since its popularization, the company’s employees are clearly taking advantage of the intoxication levels bringing customers into their cars in the first place.
While five drivers said they weren’t provided with any sexual harassment training, the company said it updated its standards in 2016 to clarify that no sexual contact is allowed when using the service. Last week, Uber posted a sexual assault prevention video on its website to explain “how to create a safer community,” with 50 planned forums across the country intended to discuss the prevalent issue. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said preventing sexual assault is a “new priority for us.”
“It is a priority that I expect to remain a priority for the foreseeable future,” he said.
The Boston Police Department received 24 complaints of sexual assault by Uber drivers in the past two years, with three similar complaints stemming from Lyft ride-shares. In Los Angeles, 13 complaints were lodged against Uber drivers during the same period, with eight complaints against Lyft drivers. In Austin, Texas, there were at least 16 sexual assault complaints against Uber drivers, with 10 lodged against Lyft drivers since 2015. Denver has seen at least nine sexual assault complaints against Uber drivers since 2015, and at least 12 against Lyft drivers in the same period.
Jeanne Christensen, a lawyer at Wigdor LLP, has been working hard to find justice for victims since 2015. “We aren’t simply filing cases so Uber (can) pay women money and their lawyers to be quiet about it,” she said. “That was a conscious decision that we made. Uber has done a miraculous job at keeping this story quiet.”
Head on over to CNN to read the full report.
