A 51 year old ride hailing driver was arrested in the act on suspicion of raping an 18 year old passenger during a trip in Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo state, in the early hours of Tuesday, August 25. According to the Civil Police, the victim was found naked and crying in the back seat of the driver's car, as reported by Brazilian outlet G1.

Investigators say the young woman had left a liquor store with a friend, who booked the app ride with two stops. The friend got off first, leaving the victim alone with the driver on the way to her home. During the trip she texted her friend saying she was scared because of the man's strange behavior, according to Glaucus Vinícius Silva, the police chief of Guarujá's main precinct, in an interview with TV Tribuna, a Globo affiliate, cited by G1.

The friend was tracking the ride through the app and, noticing the victim had stopped responding and that the car had been stopped for a long time at a location different from the agreed destination, called the Military Police. Officers found the car parked on Rua Silvio Daige, in the Tejereba neighborhood, and found the victim naked and crying in the back seat, saying she had been raped by the driver. According to her account to police, the man took her phone and raped her using violence and intimidation.

The driver's identity has not been released by authorities, which made it impossible to reach a defense lawyer by the time of the original report. São Paulo's Public Security Department said the suspect was arrested in the act on rape charges and taken to Guarujá's main police precinct, where he remained at the disposal of the courts. The Civil Police said the victim received medical care and underwent forensic exams, including biological sample collection for genetic testing, and that the driver's phone was seized.

Uber's response

In a statement carried by G1, Uber called the case "unacceptable" and said it believes women "have the right to come and go as they wish" safely. The company said the driver's account was deactivated as soon as it learned of the incident and that it is cooperating with authorities. According to the statement, the trip was covered by insurance and the victim has access to a psychological support channel run in partnership with the NGO Me Too Brasil. In Brazil, ride hailing apps like Uber and 99 are widely used for both everyday transport and nightlife, which has made passenger safety on these platforms a recurring public debate.

This account currently relies on a single journalistic source, G1, which directly quoted the Civil Police, São Paulo's Public Security Department and Uber. There is no information yet on any defense statement from the arrested driver.