Winnipeg women speaks out after alleged sexual assault in taxi

A Winnipeg woman is speaking out after she claims she was sexually assaulted by a cab driver earlier in June and now she’s calling for other women to come forward saying more needs to be done to keep customers and cab passengers safe.

“I was terrified. He shouldn’t be on the road,” Michelle Hanslip explained.

She’s a local mother here in the city who recently shared her alleged experience in hopes of ensuring others don’t go through what she went through, as she says she was sexually assaulted by a Unicity cab driver after she had hired the cab following an anniversary party.

She claims after falling asleep in the cab, she was isolated from her partner and taken to an unknown residence where she says she was sexually assaulted before being thrown from the cab in the area of Mountain Avenue wearing only a bra where she was found by a civilian and the police were called. She was taken to a loved one’s but woke up frantic.

“I woke up with no shoes, no nothing, except a bra, and I wasn’t there, so I was freaking out, asking her what had happened, but she didn’t know.”

Hanslip then went to the Health Sciences Centre for a sexual assault examination at which time she says DNA samples were taken.

A Facebook post detailing the allegations has been circulating online, with more than 1,000 shares as of Thursday afternoon. The incident has also been reported to the Winnipeg Police Service and a police spokesperson confirmed they had received the report.

As for Hanslip, she says she wants the driver investigated and charged as the reported incident has left her traumatized.

“I don’t think I’ll even look into taking a cab because of what happened, sober or not, I will not take a cab ever again. I don’t trust it. I would rather take Winnipeg Transit or walk.”

Manager with Unicity Manmohan Gill spoke to CityNews about the Facebook post earlier today. He says the allegations are being investigated and says while the driver has been questioned, he could not get into specifics about the review.

“We have 300 cabs. We are very serious about this business and we’re not going to let anything bad happen to our customers,” explained Gill.

Gill says he was just recently made aware of the incident but says they take the allegations seriously and they’re examining the incident, saying while the reported driver remains on the road right now, he could be removed if further information comes to light.

“If anything bad happened to that customer because of that driver, actions will be taken accordingly.”

In a statement from the City of Winnipeg, the vehicle for hire office explained while it had not received a complaint about the incident, it is opening an investigation “immediately.” The statement explained while the office could not comment on specifics, there are disciplinary actions for drivers who behave inappropriately or criminally running from reprimands and re-training to licence suspension and cancellation.

The MKO released a statement Friday saying, “Today we are issuing yet another warning for Indigenous women using taxis in the City of Winnipeg. If you are planning to use a taxi, please be vigilant. MKO is aware of new allegations of sexual assault against a taxi driver in Winnipeg,” said Grand Chief Garrison Settee.

“On behalf of MKO, I commend Michelle Hanslip for sharing what she went through when using Unicity Taxi earlier this month. It is never easy to come forward to share these kinds of truths and we recognize you for your bravery. MKO continues to be concerned about the safety of First Nations citizens using taxis in Winnipeg,” the statement continued.

“I encourage anyone who has witnessed or experienced unsafe incidents in taxis to file a report with the Winnipeg Police Service,” stated Grand Chief Settee. “We continue to call on all taxi companies and the City of Winnipeg to step up to ensure First Nations people can access safe taxi services. MKO also calls on all levels of government to recognize this ongoing harm and to implement Calls for Justice 4.8 and 17.9 from the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.”

Previous warnings have come from the MKO after incidents in October 2021 and March 2022.

For safety, the MKO recommends anyone who uses a taxi should do the following:

• Take a picture of the cab number and/or license plate number;
• Ride in the back seat of the taxi rather than in the front, if possible;
• Enable the location services or GPS tracking on your phone;
• Input local emergency numbers into your phone before you use a taxi;
• Try to travel with a friend or family member;
• Let someone know where you are.

“I am deeply concerned of this latest incident of a woman being victimized by a service which is supposed to be providing a safe mode of transportation,” said Heidi Spence, director of MKO’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Liaison Unit. “This is becoming too common, and it is not okay. Our relatives have the right to access safe public services without fear for their personal safety. Better safeguard procedures should be put into place to ensure everyone accessing ride-for-hire services is protected adequately.”

The City of Winnipeg noted the Vehicle for Hire office takes these types of complaints seriously and all are investigated, reminding residents to contact 311 with any concerns and the police if they observe or experienced criminal activity.

As for Hanslip, she hopes other women speak out about their negative experiences, saying it happens all too often in a system where people are supposed to feel safe.

“It happens everyday. Believe it, or not.”