Taxi Driver Online

Nothing particularly out of the ordinary in the grand scheme of what's been reported on here over the years.

But that this is in the P&J just as they're making their pro-Uber pitch again is more than a tad ironic (although I'm maybe being over-cynical in suggesting the publication of the Uber piece at the same time is deliberate).

And the other slightly odd detail compared to the norm is that she was just 14

This happened more than three years ago. So presumably a lot of the power brokers, business and media elites etc would have know about this case while the whole Uber thing has been going on



Aberdeen schoolgirl, 14, brutally raped after being picked up by fake taxi driver

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... taxi-rank/

Victor Popa's attack on the child has left his young victim with "overwhelming and everlasting" trauma that is still affecting her three years on.

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A 14-year-old girl was raped in an Aberdeen car park after a predatory stranger picked her up from a taxi rank in the city centre.

The driver, Victor Popa, attacked the stranded teenager with “significant force” and while she was unconscious, a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

His victim has been living “a waking nightmare” in the three years since the sexual assault, and it has devastated all aspects of her young life, the court was told.

Multiple strands of evidence, including CCTV and text messages, supported the vulnerable child’s account and Popa, 35, has now been locked up for 12 years and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Popa, who was not a taxi driver and did not know the child, carried out his brutal attack in the early hours of January 15 2023.

Victim was ‘simply trying to get home safely’

The jury heard evidence that the girl and her two friends had been on a night out in town they were very drunk.

The girl became separated from her friends, so she went to a taxi rank to go home.

It was 2am and when Popa pulled up in his car, she believed he was a taxi.

She told him she was 14, really drunk and had no money, and he agreed to take her home, the court was told.

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During his sentencing remarks today, Judge Alison Stirling described what happened next.

“She got into your car and blanked out,” she said. “She woke up with you kissing her. She was so drunk she could not move and could not do anything.”

Popa removed some of her clothing and raped the girl while she drifted in and out of consciousness.

When his victim eventually came around, she put her clothes back on and ran from the car.

A medical expert said that the injuries she suffered were consistent with a forceful sexual attack, and they were “highly supportive” of her account of being unconscious at the time of the rape.

Victim’s suffering ‘overwhelming and everlasting’

Judge Stirling went on to describe the devastating impact Popa’s crime has had – and continues to have – on the teenager.

“The emotional impact of the rape was overwhelming, and she thinks it will be everlasting,” she said.

“She has been living a waking nightmare over and over and over again since she was 14 years old.”

The girl had to leave her school due to bullying from boys and her education has been severely hampered, the girl said in a victim impact statement provided to the court.

She has been diagnosed with complex PTSD, anxiety and depression and was unable to leave her home for three years.

Judge Stirling said: “She lived in her bedroom for three years because of her fear that you were out there. When you were convicted and locked up, she felt able to go shopping with friends.”

During the trial, Popa claimed that the various sexual acts which took place were consensual and initiated by his victim – which meant the teenager went through the additional trauma of giving evidence.

Rapist was first offender

Popa came to the UK from Romania in 2015 and has lived in Aberdeen since 2018.

He worked in hotels, as a delivery driver and a roofer and is a first offender.

Judge Stirling told him today: “Your offending meets the threshold of serious harm, with your actions having caused lasting psychological and physical harm to the complainer.

“You have been assessed as not yet sufficiently ready or willing to engage meaningfully in the Moving Forward 2 Change programme work.”

Jailing him for 12 years, she also imposed a non-harassment order preventing him from approaching or contacting his victim for an indefinite period.

Courage of victim praised

Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “Violence against women and girls has no place in our society. This was a predatory and deeply distressing attack on a child who was simply trying to get home safely.

“The evidence presented to the jury showed the careful work of police officers and prosecutors to uncover what happened and to hold Victor Popa to account.

“I want to recognise the courage shown by the young victim and her family throughout the prosecution process. Their strength has helped bring a dangerous offender to justice.

“The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will continue to use every tool available to pursue those who target women and girls, and to protect the public from harm.”

For what it's worth, a few more nuances and detail in the Scottish Sun's version


SICK PREDATOR Romanian man raped Scots schoolgirl, 14, in car park after picking her up at taxi rank

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/1 ... deen-taxi/

A SICK paedo who raped a 14-year-old girl after picking her up at a city taxi rank has been jailed for 12 years.

Victor Popa, 35, pounced on the vulnerable schoolgirl in his car after parking up in a residential area of Aberdeen.

The creep subjected the “very drunk” youngster to a sexual assault to which a judge said has left his victim enduring a “waking nightmare”.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the Romanian national targeted the young female – who can’t be named for legal reasons – on January 15 2023, in Aberdeen city centre.

A jury heard how the young girl had been out drinking with pals and had became separated from them.

Jurors heard how the girl wanted to go home and tried to get a taxi at a rank in the city centre but there were none available.

Popa, of Commerce Street, Aberdeen, pulled up in his car and she thought he was a taxi driver.

The court heard how Popa – who wasn’t a cabbie – offered to take her home.

But he drove to a car park in the city’s Tillydrone area and when she was intoxicated and unconscious subjected her to a sexual assault, before raping her.

The first offender was convicted following trial at the high court last month.

Today he appeared for sentencing before judge Alison Stirling, who told him he needed to go to prison for his crimes.

Passing sentence, judge Stirling spoke of the trauma the girl has been left suffering, which resulted in her quitting school and feeling too afraid to leave her bedroom for three years.

She said: “She described the pain at the time and in the immediate aftermath of the rape, and the effect the rape had on her mental health.

“The emotional impact of the rape was overwhelming, and she thinks it will be everlasting.

“She has been living a waking nightmare over and over and over again since she was 14 years old.

“Having to tell her mother was awful, because she knew her mother would be very upset.

“Telling the police and going for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy tests made her feel dirty and humiliated.

“It was terrifying for her at the age of 14 to think she could be pregnant to a rapist. Fortunately she was not pregnant.

“She returned to school but left after six months because she was bullied about the rape, mainly by the boys.

“About eight months after the rape she was diagnosed with Complex PTSD, anxiety and depression.

“She has been prescribed sleeping medication. She had been unable to sleep because she did not feel safe and kept thinking about the rape.

“She lived in her bedroom for three years because of her fear that you were out there.

“When you were convicted and locked up, she felt able to go shopping with friends.

“The rape has changed her forever.”

Police were alerted and launched an investigation, gathering enough evidence to arrest him and bring him to court.

Officers gathered CCTV evidence to corroborate the girl’s account of what happened to her.

She had told officers of how she had told Popa was 14 years old, that she was really drunk and didn’t have any money.

But the court heard that Popa agreed to take her home and that she got into his car and “blanked out.”

The court heard that she woke up with him kissing her, and that she was so drunk, she could not move or do anything.

The court heard that Popa went to school in Romania but started to live in the UK in 2015.

He moved to Aberdeen the following year and has worked in hotels, as a roofer and as a delivery driver.

Popa denied any wrongdoing and claimed the child told him she was 18 and that the sex was consensual.

Jailing him, judge Stirling told him: “The reasons for the sentence include punishment, expressing society’s concern about and disapproval of your offending, protection of the public, and rehabilitation in a custodial setting.”

The brute was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Chief Inspector Steven McDonald said: “This incident was extremely frightening for the girl who simply wanted to get home.

“Popa is a dangerous individual who posed a risk to women and girls and preyed on this young girl’s vulnerability.

“We remain committed to working with our partners to create a society where women and girls live free from violence, abuse, exploitation and harassment.

“Where offences are reported, we will respond with swift and robust investigations by specially trained officers.

“I’d like to thank the girl for her courage throughout and to her family for their support during our investigation.”

Funnily enough, absolutely no mention of the context surrounding it all in the official Police Scotland news release. All maybe a bit inconvenient for them

But this does seem to say he was working as a delivery driver at the time, which isn't clear from the articles above. But which would further explain the context.


Man jailed for rape of 14-year-old girl in Aberdeen City Centre

https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-h ... ty-centre/

A man has today, Wednesday, 18 March, 2026, been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Aberdeen.

Victor Popa, 35, attacked the girl during the early hours of Sunday, 15 January, 2023 in the Gordon's Mills Place area.

Working as a delivery driver and a stranger to the girl, he offered her the safety of a lift home, however attacked her within his vehicle.

Following a significant police investigation to identify him, he was arrested two days later and subsequently charged.

Popa went on trial in January 2026 and was found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh. At the same court today, he was jailed and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Detective Chief Inspector Steven McDonald said: “This incident was extremely frightening for the girl who simply wanted to get home. Popa is a dangerous individual who posed a risk to women and girls and preyed on this young girl’s vulnerability.

“We remain committed to working with our partners to create a society where women and girls live free from violence, abuse, exploitation and harassment. Where offences are reported, we will respond with swift and robust investigations by specially trained officers.

“I’d like to thank the girl for her courage throughout and to her family for their support during our investigation.”

This is the official COPFS news release (Scotland's CPS equivalent). Again, it's a bit context free, but does mention the taxi rank scenario, and does say she was unconscious. But not how or why she got into that state


Man raped vulnerable teenage girl in Aberdeen car park

https://www.copfs.gov.uk/about-copfs/ne ... -car-park/

A man who raped a vulnerable teenage girl in his vehicle after offering her a lift home has been jailed.

Victor Popa, 35, attacked the stranded 14-year-old after picking her up from a taxi rank in Aberdeen in the early hours of 15 January 2023.

The prosecution case drew together multiple strands of evidence, including CCTV and text messages, which supported the child’s account.

Medical evidence of an injury caused by significant force, likely inflicted while the girl was unconscious, was also placed before the jury.

Popa, who was not a taxi driver and did not know the child, was found guilty on 30 January 2026 following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

On 18 March 2026, at the same court, Popa was jailed for 12 years.

His name has been added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.

A non-harassment order banning Popa from contacting or attempting to contact the victim was also granted for an indefinite period.

Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said:

“Violence against women and girls has no place in our society. This was a predatory and deeply distressing attack on a child who was simply trying to get home safely.

“The evidence presented to the jury showed the careful work of police officers and prosecutors to uncover what happened and to hold Victor Popa to account.

“I want to recognise the courage shown by the young victim and her family throughout the prosecution process. Their strength has helped bring a dangerous offender to justice.

“The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will continue to use every tool available to pursue those who target women and girls, and to protect the public from harm.”

It's a shame we can't introduce castration as they do in Italy ! Lets see if he survives 12 years without getting whacked ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector