Woman in West Jakarta Allegedly Assaulted by Ride-Hailing Driver

A woman with the initials SN has alleged she was sexually assaulted by a ride-hailing driver in West Jakarta. Her boyfriend, Hanif, recounted that the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon (6/8) during a trip from Petukangan, South Jakarta, to Jembatan Besi, West Jakarta. Hanif said his girlfriend was initially seated in the back but was asked by the driver to move to the front seat, which she did. The driver then engaged her in conversation, talking about his troubled family life, before suddenly grabbing her hand and kissing it. According to Hanif, the driver stopped in the Joglo area to top up his electronic toll card. After resuming the journey, the driver asked to borrow the victim’s mobile phone to check maps, claiming his own device was malfunctioning. While holding the phone, the driver allegedly touched the victim’s thigh. The victim protested, telling him to stop and warning that she would tell her boyfriend. Upon meeting his girlfriend, Hanif confronted the driver and, with the help of local residents, detained him before handing him over to the police. West Jakarta Metro Police Public Relations Head, AKP Wisnu Wirawan, confirmed a report regarding the alleged assault had been filed at the police station on Thursday. He stated that the driver, identified by the initials ARA, has been detained.