Didi ride-sharing passenger in the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou was raped and killed by a driver last Friday.
According to a statement by local police, 20 year old Zhao got into a Hitch carpool vehicle at 1pm on Friday and sent a message to a friend at around 2pm seeking help before losing contact.
A 27-year-old driver named Zhong was detained at about 4am on Saturday and confessed to raping and killing the passenger. The victim’s body had been recovered and an investigation is ongoing.
The incident sparked community outrage as it happens less than four months after the murder of a flight attendant during a Hitch ride in May.
According a statement by the China’s largest ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing, the suspect has no prior criminal record and had provided authentic documentation before starting work.
However, there was a prior complaint made against the driver on Thursday by a passenger who alleged the driver took them to a remote place and then followed the passenger after exiting the vehicle.
“The incident shows the many deficiencies with our customer service processes, especially the failure to act swiftly on the previous passenger’s complaint and the cumbersome and rigid process of information sharing with the police,” the company said in the statement on Sunday.
Didi Chuxing is suspending the Hitch services nationwide.
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