A Moscow court has remanded a taxi driver in custody on charges of attempting to rape a female passenger, investigators announced on Tuesday.
The judge ordered the driver to remain in detention after law enforcement officials presented initial findings from their inquiry into the late-night assault.
The Moscow branch of the Investigative Committee of Russia confirmed the custody decision to Russian news website Lenta.ru, stating that the suspect was arrested shortly after the passenger reported the incident to police officers.
According to official findings from investigators, the attack took place during the night of October 27 when the taxi driver pulled over at a car park on Lukhmanovskaya Street. The driver then subjected the passenger to violent sexual acts while she was unable to offer physical resistance.
Details of the car park attack
Further details of the encounter were reported by the Moscow Telegram channel Chto Tam, Moskva, which said the passenger is a 19-year-old woman who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the journey.
The channel reported that the cabbie pounced on her inside the vehicle, pulled off her clothing, and bit her on the breast before attempting to rape her, though she managed to break free and get away.
The young woman contacted the police immediately after escaping the scene, prompting officers to track down and detain the motorist. Investigators subsequently filed formal criminal charges against him under Article 132 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which prosecutes violent actions of a sexual nature.
Investigative Committee and legal proceedings
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation acts as the country's main federal agency for investigating serious felonies, including sexual violence, homicides, and major public crimes. Article 132 of the national criminal code covers non-consensual sexual acts carried out through violence or physical threats, carrying prison sentences that can reach several years depending on aggravating circumstances.
Lukhmanovskaya Street is located in the Kosino-Ukhtomsky district on the eastern edge of Moscow, near the capital's outer ring road. Under Russian criminal procedure, remand in custody places the accused in a pre-trial detention facility while investigators collect forensic evidence, question witnesses, and compile the formal indictment ahead of trial.
