“We believe that Batth may have targeted other victims."
Hirdeypal Batth has been charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement after he allegedly posed as an Uber driver to target his victim.
The 24-year-old resident of Langley, British Columbia, Canada, was charged on October 22, 2020, in relation to a file this August.
Police believe Batth drove his 2020 white Land Rover in order to pose as the victim’s Uber Driver.
It is alleged that he forcibly confined the victim and sexually assaulted her near Oak Street and King Edward Avenue on August 26.
Following his arrest, police now believe that Batth may have targeted other victims. Officers have urged them to come forward.
On October 29, 2020, Constable Tania Visintin said:
“We believe that Batth may have targeted other victims.
“Investigators are expanding their focus to look at crimes that occurred outside of Vancouver and are urging any other victims to please come forward.”
In 2017, Batth was convicted of sexually assaulting a victim with similarities to the current investigation.
He remains in custody until his next court appearance.
Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 604-717-0601 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
In a similar case which happened in the United Kingdom, Mohammed Awais was jailed for more than nine years for kidnapping and raping a woman after posing as an Uber driver.
The victim had been out with friends when she ordered an Uber to take her home.
Awais arrived at the location in a Toyota Auris at approximately 12:30 am. The young woman believed the vehicle was the Uber she had booked.
The court heard that Awais, who had never worked as an Uber driver, let the victim into his car.
The woman became suspicious when Awais did not appear to know where he was going. As she voiced her concerns, he locked the doors and sped up.
Awais drove the terrified woman to an area in East Ham before dragging her to a dimly lit alleyway and raping her.
After the attack, he stole her laptop, phone and cash. Awais then ordered her out of his car and drove off, leaving her by the side of a road.
The woman ran away and hid in the garden of a property to ensure her attacker was not following her. She later alerted two members of the public who called the police.
An investigation was launched by detectives from the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command following the attack.
Detectives arrested Awais after he was identified as the person who was driving the vehicle by a witness. He was also picked out by a witness at an ID parade and forensic evidence connected him to the attack.
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