She was sexually assaulted in a rideshare. She's not alone — but companies won't share Canadian data
CBC
When Emily ordered a ride through a rideshare app after hanging out with friends six years ago, she thought she was making a safe choice.
Then, she was sexually assaulted by her driver.
Two years after the driver pleaded guilty to sexual assault, Emily decided to sue him and the rideshare company in civil court. The lawsuit is still winding its way through the court system.
"I was relying on the rideshare company to get me home safe and instead they put me in a car with my rapist," Emily said. Radio-Canada has changed her name and has not named the rideshare company to protect Emily's identity.
In the past two years, at least five rideshare drivers have been arrested in connection with a sexual assault or convicted in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, based on police data.
But it's unclear how comprehensive that number is. That's because, despite having done so for the U.S., companies such as Uber and Lyft have not released data on alleged sexual assaults in Canada.
Several lawyers say the companies should be more transparent about such cases.
"They are touting a safe service," said Toronto lawyer Simona Jellinek. "Show us how safe it is. Prove it."
Meanwhile, Toronto-based lawyer Darryl Singer says he has worked on around a dozen cases in the last five years involving someone suing a rideshare company after an alleged sexual assault. Several cases are ongoing, he told CBC Toronto in May.
Most of his cases are in the GTA, he said. In 2019, one of his clients, a woman from Toronto, sued Uber and a driver for $5 million. The lawsuit was settled, he said.
Reports involving rideshares have increased "notably" since 2020, said Toronto police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan in an email to CBC Toronto.
"These increases are more pronounced than the overall trends for assaults and sexual violations city-wide," she wrote, adding the increase may coincide with an expanded use of ride-sharing services since 2020.
Uber and Lyft condemned incidents of sexual assault in emails to Radio-Canada.
Both platforms provide in-app safety measures. Uber lets passengers share their trip details with someone else and has an emergency assistance button that allows users to call 911.
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WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.