Judge slams ride share driver’s excuse for raping woman in Fitzroy
A judge has slammed a father-of-five who tried to justify raping a “vulnerable” young woman, saying women were entitled to “a safe ride home”.
Police & Courts
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A judge has slammed a ride share driver for blaming his personal demons for raping a young woman, saying his “predatory” offending had caused “catastrophic” harm.
Didi driver Abdouslam Alsharif, 52, was on Friday jailed for seven years with a non-parole period of 4½ years after he pleaded guilty to raping and sexual assaulting a young woman who thought she was catching a ride home following a night out in Fitzroy.
In her sentencing remarks, County Court Judge Liz Gaynor said sexual offending against substance affected women by rideshare drivers was “all too prevalent”, adding the father-of-five’s “personal stress” was no excuse for his conduct.
“The fact that you yourself suffered trauma … did not entitle you to take out your anguish on a vulnerable young woman,” she said.
“The fact is, theirs is the entitlement, the entitlement to a safe ride home … safe from a predatory sexual attack.”
Judge Gaynor noted the “catastrophic” effects of Alsharif’s offending on his then 20-year-old victim, who now struggled to work and had attempted suicide.
“Her personal, social and working life have all been devastated,” she said.
“She continues to be ravaged by flashbacks (and) panic attacks.
“You inflicted this upon her and she did nothing to deserve it.”
Alsharif, who appeared in court via video link from custody and required the assistance of an interpreter, showed little emotion as Judge Gaynor denounced his crimes.
In the early hours of April 29, 2021, Alsharif drove alongside the woman and her friend after they had left birthday celebrations at a Fitzroy bar.
The rapist told them he was an Uber driver and could take them home.
The woman, who was substance affected, got in by herself before Alsharif drove to a nearby street and assaulted her for 20 minutes.
He ignored her pleas for him to stop and continued after she had blacked out.
After the assault, the woman texted her friend “im in a scary mab czr” meaning to type “I’m in a scary man’s car” before Alsharif dropped her back at the bar.
Her friend contacted police who met her a short time later and took her to hospital.
CCTV and DNA later linked Alsharif linked to the crime.
His lawyer Luke Barker told an earlier hearing his client had a “tumultuous” decade after he was made “persona non grata” in his native Libya following the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime.
While his client’s offending was “abhorrent”, Mr Barker submitted he was under “significant personal stress” because he wasn’t able to find work in his field.
Alsharifa, who has a PhD in marine biology, will be eligible for supervised release in late 2025 with time served.
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