Woman raped, robbed, dumped in Caura

Police are warning commuters to be careful while travelling in the East after a report of a woman being abducted, raped and robbed, then dumped in Caura last Friday.

Police said they are trying to get to the bottom of the matter and catch the people involved, but in the meantime suggested commuters use "target-hardening" practices while travelling on the East-West Corridor.

According to reports, a 58-year-old woman got into what seemed to be a PH taxi in Curepe last Friday. She later told police as soon as she got into the back seat, another passenger got in the front. Shortly after a man and a woman got into the back seat with her.

As the second woman was getting out, the male passenger in the back punched her in the face, knocking her out. When she came to, she found herself lying in the bush near a road in Caura.

The frightened woman stayed there until morning, then made her way to a nearby house whose occupants called the police.

She was taken to the Tunapuna Police Station, then the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, where she was examined.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Mc Donald Jacob yesterday advised commuters to be very careful while travelling at night and added that police will be paying special attention to the taxi stands in the area and checking "PH" taxis as well as "H" taxis, especially at night.

"If you are travelling, make sure to have knowledge of the taxi and the driver," Jacob said. "Don't go into strange vehicles if you don't know the driver. Make sure to board taxis at the taxi stand and as much as possible, board an 'H' taxi."

He added that some people even resort to taking pictures of the licence plates of taxis to ensure someone knows who they are travelling with.