In a disturbing story published today by Philadelphia magazine, a woman alleges that the Uber driver that picked her up in Philadelphia's Old City last month "held her arms down, ripped her pants, and raped her."

The woman, 33, also claims that the driver held her in his car and continued to drive her around for more than two hours.

And even though a police report was filed more than a month ago (on the same day she was allegedly assaulted), a spokesperson for Uber claims the company only learned of the incident after Philly mag called for comment on the story today.

Update 2, 3:57 p.m.: It would appear, at least according to a rough translation of this Le Parisien story, that this isn't the first time Uber claimed to have learned about an alleged sexual assault perpetrated by a driver long after it had been reported to police. (H/T @chi1cabby)

Update, 3:26 p.m.: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim," an Uber spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "The driver in question has been deactivated from the Uber platform, and we will assist the authorities in any way we can."

The company's comment goes on:

Here is what we know at this time:

  • The trip in question occurred on February 6th and concluded with the driver dropping off the rider at the address where the Philadelphia Police Department 5th District station is located.
  • The driver has been interviewed by the PPD and was not arrested and continues to cooperate in their investigation.
  • The driver was affiliated with Uber Philadelphia as an uberX partner.
  • Upon learning of the incident, we immediately contacted PPD to assist in their investigation and support their efforts in any way we can.
  • As the investigation continues, the driver's access to the Uber platform has been suspended.
  • While we do not know the identity of the victim due the PPD's privacy policy, our thoughts and prayers are with her.

[Image via Uber]

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