From Tech in Asia

A variety of Chinese media outlets – including state-run Xinhua – are reporting today about a nightmarish incident that allegedly took place in an Uber vehicle in Chengdu, China.

According to the reports, a 42-year-old woman (name withheld) grabbed an Uber at around 2 AM on August 5. But when her Uber driver took her through a tunnel, he apparently pulled out a knife and made her hand over all the cash she had on her person – about RMB 5,000 (US$780).

After the robbery, the Uber driver took his passenger out to the city’s third ring road, where he proceeded to sexually assault her. Then, he took photos of her exposed, warning her not to report the crime to police. After about three hours, he dropped her off in the center of the city.

Chinese police have detained a man surnamed Wu (pictured) in connection with the crime, and he is reportedly being charged with robbery and rape.

Tech in Asia contacted Uber China for comment or clarification on this story. We will update this story if we receive a response.

The incident could cause trouble for Uber and other private-car ridesharing services. Comment threads on Sina Weibo about the crime are full of people commenting on how unsafe they feel these services are. “At night, I won’t ride Uber,” wrote one commenter. “This is why I say that women should not take Uber,” wrote another.

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