Warning: Some details of the following story may be disturbing
A Winnipeg woman says she was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver a week and a half ago and left her mostly naked and a few blocks from her home.
Michelle Hanslip said the incident happened early in the morning on Sunday, June 12th. Although some of his wounds have healed, he still has cuts and bruises from what happened.
“Instead of saving it for me … this is just a form of healing,” he said. “It is not fair.”
That Saturday night, he said he went to a relative’s house for a meeting and took a Unicity taxi around midnight with his ex-partner.
Hanslip said she was intoxicated. Some details are blurry, but he remembered a moment during the trip when the taxi driver stopped, got out and got his ex out of the vehicle before continuing to drive.
“I remember that taxi driver going back to the driver’s seat,” he said. “Where he had taken me, I don’t know.”
Michelle Hanslip posted several photos of her injuries and other details on social media after the incident. (Michelle Candace / Facebook)
He says he woke up Sunday at his mother’s house. Injured and not knowing what happened, she went to the hospital the next day and called the police.
An investigator told her she was found on the blocks of her home police with almost no clothes and no phone or bag, and that she mentioned to officers that morning that she had been sexually assaulted, Hanslip said.
“I broke down because it only validated that what I had experienced was true,” he said.
She said police also told her they found her around 2 a.m., about 90 minutes since she estimates her ex was removed from the vehicle. She says she can’t explain everything that happened in between, but she remembers a few things.
“I remember it specifically [the driver] grabbing me, and I was walking beside him somewhere, “he said.” I don’t know where he was. “
Hanslip said he had location tracking turned on in the Google Maps app on his now-defunct phone. She was able to access this data on her computer and shows an area near her home where she suspects she was taken.
Winnipeg police confirmed to CBC News that a report of sexual assault associated with this case has been filed.
Winnipeg City Council also said it received a complaint about the incident and will open an investigation immediately.
“The car rental office takes the complaints seriously and reminds residents to contact 311 to report any questions as all complaints are investigated,” a city spokesman said in a statement.
The city said possible disciplinary outcomes under the rental vehicle statutes include a reprimand, laundering, financial fines and license suspensions and cancellations.
Manmohan Gill, manager of Unicity Taxi, said the company found out about the incident on Thursday and will investigate.
“We’re just trying to figure out what exactly happened,” he said. “Nothing has been proven yet, yes, but if he pleads guilty, action will be taken.”
Pending the results of an investigation, the driver will be able to continue driving, Gill said.
“These incidents shouldn’t happen to anyone,” Gill said. “All drivers, like, every time they come to training in the office, we simply tell them, like, these things are not strictly allowed.”
Hanslip says she is disappointed with Unicity.
“We shouldn’t feel insecure, which is how I feel now knowing that guy is still driving,” he said.
He hopes his Google Maps location tracking data, images inside the taxi vehicle and test results from his visit to the hospital will help authorities charge the driver.
Hanslip received the support of loved ones who were contacted after posting about what happened on social media. Some women shared similar stories and hope to share their help with others to introduce themselves.
“I know it’s happening,” he said. “I don’t feel alone.”
Police are investigating after a woman says she was sexually assaulted by a Winnipeg taxi driver
Michelle Hanslip says a Unicity taxi driver sexually assaulted her while she was drunk and was returning home after a meeting.