Horrifying Met Police information lays naked the hazards ladies are going through.
London’s distinctive black cabs (Picture: PA)
Intercourse offences dedicated by taxi drivers working in Britain’s capital have tripled in simply three years, shock new information has discovered. The grim actuality of the speedy enhance in predatory behaviour has been revealed by means of a Freedom of Data request that discovered 70 arrests resulting in costs have been made by the Met Police between January 2023 and December 2025, the place the suspect’s occupation was listed as a taxi or minicab driver.
And the findings in Higher London replicate a rising nationwide concern concerning the vetting processes for taxi and personal cab licenses. At present, licensing requirements can range considerably between completely different native authorities, resulting in requires a extra unified, stringent strategy to driver background checks. Earlier this yr the Categorical revealed how taxi drivers have been working as army model surveillance items to offer grooming gangs with “speedy response intelligence” on victims. This comes after quite a few grooming instances throughout the north of England concerned cab driver networks. In 2023, the Met recorded 10 complete offences – this determine greater than doubled to 26 in 2024, earlier than climbing additional to 34 in 2025.
The information additionally exhibits that the variety of taxi drivers raping and sexually assaulting passengers virtually doubled in a single yr.
Whereas there have been no recorded offences dedicated by on-duty cabbies towards these within the again seat in 2023, there have been six the next yr. And that disturbing determine rose to 11-passenger-related intercourse offences within the final yr alone.
And that disturbing determine rose to 11-passenger-related intercourse offences previously yr yr alone. These offences ranged from one rely of publicity, to a different rely of the rape of a lady.
Britain’s greatest power additionally recorded seven counts of sexual assault on a feminine and an additional two of assaulting a feminine aged 13 or over “by penetration”.
Of the 70 complete costs throughout the three years, 17 have been dedicated straight towards passengers throughout a journey. The remaining 52 offences have been dedicated exterior of labor – 31 of which have been for rape, with an additional three tried rapes.
The darkish figures, uncovered by Sexual Abuse Compensation Recommendation, additionally revealed that on 19 events, licensed cabbies focused kids, with the Met Police recording two counts of rape involving a lady aged between 13 and 15 – each of which befell in 2024.
Simply final yr, a taxi driver was arrested and charged with inflicting or inciting a lady below 13 years outdated to have interaction in sexual exercise by penetration.
The remaining 22 offences recorded towards off-duty cabbies in 2025 embrace: one rely of making an attempt to have interaction in sexual communication with a toddler, every of the beforehand talked about tried rape instances, two counts in participating in sexual communication with a toddler, seven counts of rape, eight of sexually assaulting a feminine and considered one of sharing {a photograph} or movie of an individual in an intimate state meaning to trigger alarm misery or humiliation.
Queues of taxis in Manchester (Picture: Andrew Stenning/Day by day Categorical/Day by day Mirror)
Different chilling offences recorded throughout the three-year interval included gross indecency with a toddler, indecent assault on a lady below 14 and assaulting a boy below 13 by touching.
Ellie Lamey, of Sexual Abuse Compensation Recommendation, warned the figures present a sample that “can’t be ignored”
She mentioned: “These disclosures spotlight a deeply regarding breach of public belief. Passengers place their bodily security solely within the palms of drivers inside an remoted, enclosed setting.
“To see licensed professionals exploiting this dynamic is unacceptable. The trauma of an assault in a taxi could be devastating, but many survivors really feel too intimidated or frightened to report the abuse.”
, a lady makes use of the Uber app (Picture: Getty Photographs)
“This information have to be a wake-up name for licensing boards. We want universally stringent vetting and strong safeguarding measures so passengers can journey with out concern, and perpetrators face absolute accountability.”
A spokesperson for the Met mentioned: “The Met is dedicated to tackling sexual violence and abuse throughout the town.
“We’re delivering main enhancements in how we help victims of sexual offences all through lively investigations, offering greater than 23,000 officers and workers with bespoke coaching and rolling out enhanced sufferer companies to extend the standard of our communications.
“Offering higher help for victims, whereas increasing specialist groups to relentlessly pursue the best danger predatory males, has seen stronger outcomes for victims and survivors, with the Met tripling costs for rape and severe sexual offences.
“As a part of our work below Operation Soteria, we’re working tirelessly to construct confidence and encourage sufferer survivors to come back ahead and report sexual offending to us.
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“We’ll proceed to work intently with TfL, BTP and native companions, recognising that lasting security on all facets of the capital’s transport community requires a coordinated, city-wide response.”
For confidential assist, the 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Help Line gives free cellphone and on-line chat for anybody aged 16+ in England and Wales. Name 0808 500 2222 or go to 247sexualabusesupport.org.uk.
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