Shorten sentencing raises concerns about safety of women in taxis

A survey conducted by the National Transport Authority last year found that 68 per cent of people felt safe getting a taxi home after a night out, with only 12 per cent feeling unsafe.

It is fair to assume that those numbers would be different if the survey was conducted today, following the conviction of taxi driver Raymond Shorten for the rape of two passengers late at night.

Shorten’s predatory methods and his specific targeting of women in a vulnerable state raised questions over the safety of relying on taxis to get home after a night out.

His unwillingness to admit his guilt and his cynical efforts to convince the jury the rapes were consensual made the case all the more chilling. Three women who had consensual sex with Shorten were called as defence witnesses.

The witnesses were forced to attend under threat of being held in contempt of court. One was in tears before taking the stand. The tactic failed and Shorten was convicted on all counts on June 14th.

Following the conviction, it could be publicly reported that Shorten had already been convicted for raping a seven-year-old girl who was known to him. Those offences occurred more than a decade ago, but he was convicted only last May.

The matter was raised in the Dáil, where several TDs questioned the effectiveness of Garda vetting procedures in light of the case.

“When people use a taxi, they think everything is okay because drivers are vetted and we hope they will bring our children, family members and friends home safely,” said Paul Donnelly, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin West.

“Unfortunately, that system needs to be looked at again to figure out how this happened. How was that person allowed to drive a taxi at that time? That is an important issue that needs to be looked at.”

Of course, the vast majority of taxi drivers are not dangerous, something noted by Mr Justice Paul McDermott in his sentencing remarks. Shorten’s actions were a “great betrayal” to his profession, the judge said.

A Garda spokeswoman echoed this views: “Individual cases such as Raymond Shorten are in the tiny minority who do not represent their professional colleagues.”

However, according to the Rape Crisis Centre (RCC), it cannot be ignored that women face the risk, however small, of sexual assault when getting a taxi. According to data from sexual assault treatment units (SATU), in the last two years 18 people have been raped or sexually assaulted in a taxi (the data does not say if the victim was the passenger or driver).

The RCC pointed out these numbers likely represent only a fraction of the true figure as they only capture cases where the victim attended a SATU.

“There must be urgency in getting these numbers down and preventing these assaults from happening,” RCC chief executive Rachel Morrogh said.

Some TDs and others seemed to be under the impression that Shorten was operating a taxi while he was already charged or convicted in relation to the rape of the young girl.

However, this is not accurate. The investigation into Shorten for raping the child on dates more than 10 years ago began only in late 2020. He was still under investigation, but not charged, when he raped the two female passengers in the summer of 2022.

[ ‘A gross betrayal’: Taxi driver Raymond Shorten jailed for 17 years for rape of two young passengersOpens in new window ]

He was charged in relation to the attacks on passengers in August 2022 and went into custody while awaiting trial. At this point his licence was revoked.

In September 2022 he was charged with the abuse of the young girl and again remanded in custody.

This means that at no point was Shorten driving a taxi while charged, much less convicted, in relation to a sexual offence (although he had a number of previous convictions for road traffic offences and other minor matters).

However, he was operating a taxi while under active investigation for the rape of a child and it was during this period that he attacked the two passengers.

This raises the question of whether Shorten’s licence should have been suspended earlier on public safety grounds.

Gardaí have discretion to revoke licences if they think a driver may be a danger to others. After all, they did just that after Shorten was charged with the attacks on the two women. However, they are under no automatic obligation to do so.

In response to queries, Garda Headquarters noted Shorten’s conviction and said it took its responsibility as the current to grant taxi licences “very seriously and with the utmost gravity”.

Asked if the regulations need to be tightened, the Department of Justice said Minister for Justice Helen McEntee “will work with the Garda Commissioner and Government colleagues to further identify what needs to be done to put robust systems and processes in place for all professions that may be engaging with vulnerable people”.

It said the Minister had asked that the taxi licensing system “receive priority attention”.

The vetting system for taxi drivers is currently being reviewed and “any proposals for reform in that regard will be implemented without delay,” a department spokesman said.

This approach has been welcomed by Ms Morrogh of the RCC. “Women should be able to live in this country with the realistic expectation that they are safe from rape and sexual violence,” she said.

“Yet time and time again, we see that there is a still a long way to go before that happens. “Until the day comes when sexual violence is eliminated and the predatory behaviours showcased by Raymond Shorten and countless others are absent from Irish life, we cannot miss any opportunity to keep women safe.”

Garda advice on taxi safety

The Garda has offered the following advice on how passengers can safely use taxis:

· Plan your journey. Plan how you are going to get there and how you are going to return.

· Let people know where you are going and how long you should be.

· Let your friends know if you are leaving with someone outside of the group. Preferably always travel with a trusted friend, colleague or known acquaintance.

· When booking/ hiring a taxi you can check details of the vehicle and driver through the TFI driver check app.

· If booking a taxi online always check the taxi roof sign number against your booking before getting in the vehicle.

· If hiring a taxi on the street you should note the taxi number, car registration number and check the driver details against the person driving the car.

· Consider sharing your live location, via your smart mobile device, with a trusted friend or family member to monitor your journey.

· If you have any concerns do not accept or get into the taxi or if in the vehicle ask the driver to stop and get out or drive you to the nearest Garda station.

· If you are unhappy with the service, conduct or driving behaviour of a taxi driver you should make a complaint either to Transport for Ireland or at any Garda station if appropriate.

· In an emergency situation always call 999/112.