CAPE TOWN. – Chera-Lee le Roux (27) has shared her harrowing experience in an Uber, sparking outrage on social media.
Le Roux told The Daily Pod that around 21:40 on Thursday evening, November 14, she got into a white Suzuki Uber on her way to Greenpoint.
“The Uber stopped at a traffic light on Strand Street. Although the light turned green, the driver didn’t move,” she explained. Before she could process what was happening, three men forced their way into the vehicle – two on either side of her in the back seat and one in the front passenger seat. They attacked her and held a knife to her throat.
“One of the men reached under my dress and tore my clothing, leaving me exposed,” said Le Roux. She feared they intended to rape her. To her shock, the Uber driver sat silently and did nothing to intervene. He even glanced back and nodded at the attackers. She realized the driver was complicit in the assault. The men stole all her belongings, including her phone, car keys, and passport.
After the attack, the men jumped out of the vehicle and ran up nearby stairs. In a state of deep shock, Le Roux tried to seek help. She followed the attackers out of the car. Another man approached her, asked what had happened, and then snatched her necklace before fleeing up the stairs with the three attackers.
Le Roux returned to the Uber. “I begged the driver to drop me off at my original destination. After continued pleading, he finally took me to Greenpoint, where my boyfriend arrived to help. He tried confronting the Uber driver and asked for his driver’s license. However, the driver only showed his passport before speeding away.”
Her injuries required hospital treatment, and she now needs trauma counseling.
The incident was not just a robbery but also suggested an attempted abduction.
Uber has not yet commented on the incident, and Le Roux insists on stricter safety measures to prevent similar occurrences. The Daily Pod has reached out to both Uber and the police for comment. The police stated that inquiries made after hours would be addressed in the morning. This is a developing story.
Here are photos of Le Roux’s injuries. One image has been excluded to protect her privacy.
