{"id":6799,"date":"2024-07-08T15:40:06","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T14:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.socialdemocrats.ie\/?p=6799"},"modified":"2024-07-08T15:41:24","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T14:41:24","slug":"taxi-regulations-must-be-clarified-after-drivers-multiple-convictions-for-rape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.socialdemocrats.ie\/ga\/taxi-regulations-must-be-clarified-after-drivers-multiple-convictions-for-rape\/","title":{"rendered":"Taxi regulations must be clarified after driver&#8217;s multiple convictions for rape"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>The circumstances under which taxi licences are revoked and suspended now urgently need to be clarified\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>News that taxi driver Raymond Shorten is facing sentencing for the rape of a child \u2013 mere weeks after he was convicted of raping two young women in his cab \u2013 is shocking and raises questions for the taxi regulator, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSerial rapist Shorten has been convicted of raping three people \u2013 two young women and one child victim. I would like to commend the bravery of all three victims, whose courage has resulted in Shorten being named and publicly identified as a predator.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShorten now faces three separate sentencing hearings later this month, which is a matter for the courts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, this disturbing case raises questions for the regulator of taxi driver licences, An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na, who must assure the public that existing regulations are sufficiently strong.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs it stands, it is unclear whether someone who has been convicted of sexual offences will automatically lose their taxi, or SPSV, licence. It is also unclear if someone\u2019s taxi licence will be suspended if they are charged with a sexual offence \u2013 while they await trial. The circumstances under which taxi licences are revoked and suspended now urgently need to be clarified.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWomen get taxis at night because they want to get home safely. The prospect that they could be getting into taxis driven by men who have either been charged with, or convicted of, sexual offences is horrifying. It is the stuff of nightmares for women.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn Wednesday, the D\u00e1il will debate a Social Democrats\u2019 motion calling for a review of regulations of taxi driver licences \u2013 to ensure those regulations are sufficiently strong \u2013 as well as the implementation of new and updated regulations in other sectors, like dentistry and psychotherapy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe government often speaks about adopting a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence. Reviewing and updating these regulations, as a matter of urgency, is one way they could demonstrate that they take that commitment seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>8 July, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Ends<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The circumstances under which taxi licences are revoked and suspended now urgently need to be clarified\u00a0 News that taxi driver Raymond Shorten is facing sentencing for the rape of a child \u2013 mere weeks after he was convicted of raping two young women in his cab \u2013 is shocking and raises questions for the taxi [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2779,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[502,400,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime","category-holly-cairns","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - 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