Police in a suburban area northeast of Atlanta have arrested 58-year-old Abdoulie Jagne on charges of raping a 16-year-old passenger. Gwinnett County law enforcement say the teen may not have been Jagne’s only victim.
According to Atlanta’s Fox 5, police received 911 calls about a disturbance at an apartment complex early Monday morning. They arrived to find the alleged victim, who appeared very intoxicated, with her pants around her ankles.
Uber subsequently worked with police to find Jagne, and provided information showing that the trip to the victim’s destination took longer than it should have.
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Uber told Fox 5 that Jagne had been driving for them for two months, and issued the following statement:
“What’s reported here is horrifying beyond words. Our thoughts are with the rider and her family during this time. This driver has been permanently removed from the app.”
This cooperation and statement are in contrast with Uber’s prior responses to allegations of rape or other crimes against drivers. After a woman accused an Uber driver of rape in India, an Uber executive allegedly obtained her confidential medical records and shared them with other executives, who speculated privately that her claims were untrue. The assailant in that case was later convicted.
Uber has also fought hard against rules in various jurisdictions requiring stringent background checks of its drivers. It has been barred from operating in some major markets, including London, over safety and ethics concerns. Those issues have contributed to a bleak year for the ride-hailing platform, putting it on track, according to one analysis, to lose substantial U.S. Market share to competitor Lyft.