A jury of eight men and four women took three hours and 15 minutes to find him guilty of two counts of rape at the end of an eight-day trial.

Putting the rape to one side (not wishing to demean it).

If anyone of us turfed out a woman as drunk as this we would be vilified as uncaring/dereliction of duty etc, we would be absolutely slated, and yet the police who obviously knew she was drunk... DID - and not a word is said.

I think you have a point.

They could have arranged for a family member or friend to come and pick her up.

Or at least order a licensed cab for her.

Right so who in their right mind is going to come off a rank to pick a passenger up in that state ?

Woman raped by taxi driver left police station hours before sex attack

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... t-15989454

Police watchdog report reveals officers acted appropriately and would not have had any lawful power to detain the woman on that night


Image: Gazette Live

A woman was raped by a taxi driver after leaving a police station earlier in the night.

Extra training is now given to police officers after the victim was brought to Middlesbrough police station in a cab, but then left.

Officers on the night found she was not "drunk or incapable" and police watchdog found "no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary or criminal proceedings."

It was ruled that police officer training must be stepped up, however, in such circumstances.

The woman left the station and was later picked up by another, different taxi driver, Naleem Nasleem - who was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of two counts of rape following an eight day trial in June 2016.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), investigated the conduct of police on that evening after a complaint was made that the woman was allowed to leave the station.

Publishing its findings, the IOPC found that the initial taxi driver could not get the woman's address from her when he picked her up, so he took her to the Bridge Street West station, as she appeared to him to be asleep or unconscious on the back seat.

The taxi driver asked two Cleveland Police officers for help and she was taken inside and front counter staff were told that she needed a taxi.

"The woman went into the police station, spoke briefly to a member of front counter staff and then walked away from the police station towards Middlesbrough town centre," an IOPC statement said.

"The two officers drove past her as she walked to the taxi rank.

"Later that night, the woman was raped by another taxi driver, who was later convicted of the offence."

While the IOPC served the two officers with a notice of investigation, the lead investigator was of the opinion, based on the evidence available, that the woman was "neither drunk and incapable, under the Authorised Professional Practice definition, nor liable to be arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

"The officers did not consider the woman to be vulnerable.

"Even if officers had considered the woman to be vulnerable, they still would not have had any lawful power to detain her, or any statutory duty to obtain medical attention for her."

It concluded: "The investigation found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary or criminal proceedings."

But the probe found gaps in the officers training, as they had not attended a non-mandatory course in 'vulnerability and night time economy'.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said the force agreed with the IOPC's findings and has stepped up training.

"Our detectives carried out an in-depth investigation in order to ensure that Naleem Nasleem was put behind bars for 10 years," the force said.

"The woman had previously been brought to the front desk of the police station, where officers spoke to her and she left of her own accord.

"The woman then walked into the town and got into a licensed taxi.

"Neither the victim nor officers could have envisaged that a taxi driver would rape her, or that she would be raped.

"It is the fault of rapists that these crimes happen, and we will continue to provide support to victims to help them move on with their lives and bring those responsible to justice.

"There were no matters of conduct in relation to police officers or staff, however, the force recognised that training in vulnerability and risk needed to be rolled out more widely across the force and as a result ‘vulnerability and night time economy training’ was incorporated into the wider overall learning and development programme for officers and staff.

"This training helps police provide the best possible service to our communities and keep people safe."

Boro Cars told how they worked with police to convict Nasleem, of Oxford Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough.

It stressed that the victim had been picked up illegally in the street by Nasleem and said she had not booked the vehicle through its operators.

Nasleem, who was 48 when he was jailed, was made to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Once again the TAXI trade has been vilified due to the actions of a PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER and p*** poor journalism.

Won’t be long before a council dreams up a “vulnerability and night time economy training course” for us to pay for and attend. (If one hasn’t already ?)