Johannesburg - A Joburg couple were allegedly kidnapped, assaulted and the woman raped by the occupants of a meter taxi.
Although there are conflicting reports as to what kind of taxi the couple were in at the time, Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said it was a metered taxi and not an Uber.
He told The Star that in the early hours of Sunday, the couple hired the cab from Sunninghill to get home. Instead, they were allegedly attacked by two men who jumped from the boot into the back seat as they were travelling and then taken to a house where they were attacked.
“They were kidnapped and taken to a house in Greenfields in Alberton, where a woman was raped by one of the men,” said Dlamini. “They were then tied up and robbed of their cellphones and cards.”
Dlamini said a teen spotted the couple and alerted community members to what was happening. The thugs fled before they arrived and were still at large.
“Police have several leads,” said Dlamini.
It has been reported that the couple used the Uber app.
Uber condemned the attack and said they were investigating the matter. “This is a despicable crime, and our first thoughts are with the victims and their families,” the company said, adding they were in contact with the victims’ families and offering their full support.
“We are assisting law enforcement in their investigation and will continue to provide them with information to support their efforts to bring whoever is responsible to justice.”
Uber urged people to be vigilant when ordering a taxi.
“We would remind people to always check the licence plate, name and photo of the driver before getting into a car they have booked.
“If there is any allegation of wrongdoing by a driver using Uber, they are immediately prevented from accessing the app until an investigation can be concluded.”
@Karishma_Dipa
The Star