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Taiwan reports 1st case of Uber driver charged with raping intoxicated passenger

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Taiwan reports 1st case of Uber driver charged with raping intoxicated passenger

A Taiwanese Uber driver sexually assaulted a highly intoxicated female passenger in Taipei this August and was later charged with aggravated sexual assault, according to Taoyuan prosecutors Monday.

It has become the first case of sexual assault by an Uber driver in Taiwan. The Ministry of Transportation stated that it will continue to keep a close eye on the illegal operations of Uber in the country and propose an amendment to the Highway Act to increase penalties for Uber drivers. The amendment is expected to pass in the Legislature by the end of the year, the ministry said.

According to local media reports, the driver, surnamed Chen, 34 years old and married, has been making money driving for the ridesharing app. On August 15, Uber dispatched Chen to serve the female passenger, 23 years old, who was highly intoxicated in the backseat of the car and later fell victim to Chen’s sexual assault. Chen took advantage of the drunken victim, drove her to a motel rather than the assigned destination, and raped her.

The victim reportedly woke up during the assault and then reported it to the police. Chen was quickly caught and confessed to his crime. The prosecutors brought charges against Chen.

He is the first Uber driver to be indicted in Taiwan with sexually assaulting a passenger, but there is another charge against an Uber driver for sexual harassment.

In early 2016, an Uber driver surnamed Chang, 34, took advantage of a drunken female passenger by groping her breast. The victim woke up and ran away. The driver was then charged with an indecency crime.

Uber has been operating in Taiwan for more than three years but has been slammed for not obtaining the road transport operator license to evade the requirements and to save costs. The company has been ticketed for violations with an accumulated amount of more than NT$73.92 million (US$2.32 million).

Uber's Taipei office issued a written statement Monday saying that the driver was immediately removed after the company learned of the alleged attack. “The company is working with local authorities to support their investigations and proceedings,” the statement read.