The city has failed me, writes Uber rape victim

"This should never have happened to me. This city has failed me," she wrote in an article in Indian Express. On Dec 5, the woman was raped by US cab service Uber driver Shiv Kumar Yadav while she was being driven home from Gurgaon.

The driver allegedly took her to a desolate location and raped her.

"That night, I did not see any patrols on that street. And Uber, the taxi-hailing service that I had trusted, had employed a driver with a criminal background, without a (Public Service Vehicle) badge. I later learnt that they had also neglected a complaint by another female passenger, Nidhi Shah, about driver Shiv Kumar Yadav’s conduct, and failed to take action. The irreversible loss that my family and I have suffered because of this is unimaginable," she said.

"On December 5, when I walked out with my friends after having dinner, I chose to travel by a reputed cab service hoping to reach home safely and because, after the December 16 gangrape two years ago, this is what was recommended to every Indian girl — take a safe option to reach home," she wrote.

"Today, I find it difficult to sleep. Memories of that night keep coming back in flashes to haunt me. I try to sleep but can’t because of the constant fear. The incident has left a deep impact on my psyche, I feel scared to go out alone,"she said.

"And that is also why in December 2012, after the gangrape happened, I took to the streets in protest and urged my family and friends to join. I strongly feel about the issue of women’s safety. The government may have taken a stand then but I don’t think it has been a concrete one. No strong message has been sent out to society. It hasn’t deterred the criminals. There are hundreds of other, similar cases," she said.

"Isn’t it ironic that the Uber driver had the audacity to threaten me by saying he would use an iron rod on me? Instead of being deterred, this man actually used the December 16 gangrape to scare and assault a woman," she said.

"I pray for justice, stringent punishment for the accused, action against Uber. If no action is taken this time, we have failed as a society, as a government, as a system, as a country and as human beings," she wrote.