Cab driver convicted of sexual assault
A Whitehorse cab driver has been convicted of sexual assault after attacking a woman he was driving home.
A Whitehorse cab driver has been convicted of sexual assault after attacking a woman he was driving home.
Rodrigo Torres, 42, was found guilty Monday in Yukon territorial court.
In December 2011, the then-23-year-old victim had been out drinking at a number of locations when she called a Quality Cab driven by Torres.
With the woman in his cab, Torres pulled over into a bus turn-around, parked the vehicle and assaulted her, the court heard.
During a trial earlier this year, the woman, who cannot be identified under court order, testified that she had blocked out much of what happened to her but that she is certain she did not want it to happen.
The woman's mother told the court she called the RCMP after her daughter arrived home hysterically crying.
An RCMP officer also testified she was crying, upset and angry when police arrived.
On the stand in his own defence, Torres testified that the sex was consensual and that when he dropped the woman off at home, she was not drunk.
It was a story Judge Michael Cozens did not believe.
While delivering his verdict this week, Cozens rejected Torres' evidence, calling it "conveniently presented” and not believable.
Cozens pointed out that Torres had ample opportunity to tell the police about having consensual sex but did not say anything until investigators took a blood sample.
The judge accepted that the woman was intoxicated, but said that consent "must be clear and unequivocal.”
Lawyers have asked for a pre-sentencing report to be prepared.
The case is scheduled to be in court again Friday.
Comments (8)
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bobby bitman on Oct 11, 2012 at 5:20 am
Jackie, take your own advice and read the article.
"What ever happened to innocent till proven guilty?" - Jackie Ward
"A Whitehorse cab driver has been convicted of sexual assault after attacking a woman he was driving home." - first sentence of this article.
Geez. What do you do? Just jump straight to the comments section to lip off about things? Pretty ironic that you are calling me the self appointed judge jury and executioner.
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Jackie Ward on Oct 11, 2012 at 5:09 am
I appoligize. I totally read the article wrong. I thought the assault just occurred. But my comment about being innocent until proved guilty still stands.
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Jackie Ward on Oct 10, 2012 at 9:16 am
Max is right and bobby is wrong. How do you know the full story? You don't. What ever happened to innocent till proven guilty? By no means if the man is guilty I am not defending his actions. But who made you judge, jury and executioner bobby? You read one article and you base your entire option on that alone.
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bobby bitman on Oct 9, 2012 at 8:57 am
So much for planning ahead to take a cab if you are drinking that night.
Max Mack, really, what are the chances that a 23 year old would consent to sex with a cab driver in a bus turn around? If she wanted that sort of activity that night, I am confident that she could have found a partner of her own age at the venues that she visited that night. Pathetic. He was tried in court and found guilty.
As for sentencing, I hope that the damage that this cab driver has done to both his profession, and more importantly the massive breach of trust to his customer who was counting on him to get her home safe, is considered and results in a very serious sentence matching his sociopathic predatory behaviour. At 47, I seriously doubt this is the first time old Rodrigo has pulled this stunt on women.
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Max Mack on Oct 5, 2012 at 9:22 am
Unfortunately, the Canadian "justice" system is looking more and more like the Swedish "justice" system with regards to pro forma findings of guilt when men are accused of any misconduct against women.
The judge's comment that "consent must be clear and unequivocal” fits tidily with the aggressive narrative of female activism. This makes this judge appear to be very "forward-thinking", indeed.
But the problem with his statement is that it is mostly nonsense. How exactly does any consenting couple come to a "clear and unequivocal" decision?
Sexual relations do not usually begin with a signed declaration of intent and a legally binding contract. In fact, many, if not most, sexual relations (outside of a committed partnership) are not planned and will often involve alcohol as a precursor to sex.
I find this trend in decisions troubling and it does not bode well for those men that society deems to be "dirty" by virtue of their appearance, or occupation or lifestyle.
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katty on Oct 5, 2012 at 8:13 am
All cab drivers, you just take people home, like you are supposed to. People pay you and you do not terrorize the women. You are responsible for taking your passengers home safely, not sexually assault them and traumatize them. This one driver makes all cab drivers look very bad and not to be trusted. I am so terrified. All you women when you go out for a good time, please always have a friend with you and plan to go home together, so that you will not be attacked.
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Florence Moses on Oct 4, 2012 at 3:56 am
So sad that women cannot be safe in a cab, this abuse needs to be stopped. Rodrigo Torres needs to be sentenced to the full extent of the law and his breach of trust should be a considering factor in his sentencing.
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Geoffrey Capp on Oct 3, 2012 at 12:44 pm
The cab driver, even if he had been telling the truth about it being consensual, deserves to be reprimanded by the cab company for dereliction on the job. If he wants a date, he should set it up for when he's not on the job! Seems to me like he made up the story to cover himself for an assault. Good call by Cozens.