Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has promised to implement proposals to reform the taxi licensing system “as soon as possible” in the wake of the sentencing of Raymond Shorten for the rape of two female passengers in 2022.
Shorten (50), of Melrose Crescent, Dublin 22, was jailed for 17 years yesterday for the rape of two women, aged 19 and 20, in his taxi on separate nights in 2022.
That sentence will not begin until Shorten completes a 13-year term, imposed on Monday, for the rape of a seven-year-old girl more than a decade ago, including in the days after her mother’s funeral.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott took the unusual step of making all the sentences consecutive to each other. If he receives the standard remission of 25 per cent, Shorten will be 72 years on his release.
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Raymond Shorten in the dock a dumpy, dangerous, remorseless monster
[ Miriam Lord: Raymond Shorten in the dock a dumpy, dangerous, remorseless monsterOpens in new window ]
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said there was a “reasonable proposition” Shorten had attacked other women in crimes that have not come to light.
“I would make an appeal to them to come forward and make complaints,” the commissioner said after a meeting of the Policing Authority in Dublin on Thursday.
[ Shorten sentencing raises concerns about safety of women in taxisOpens in new window ]
The Department of Justice said Minister Helen McEntee “will work with the Garda Commissioner and Government colleagues to further identify what needs to be done to put robust systems and processes in place for all professions that may be engaging with vulnerable people”.
It said the Minister had asked that the taxi licensing system “receive priority attention”. A review of the vetting system for taxi drivers is currently under way and “any proposals for reform in that regard will be implemented without delay,” a department spokesman said.
Figures from the sexual assault treatment units (SATU) show there were 18 reports of sexual assault or rape in a taxi in 2022 and 2023. The figures do not state if the victim was a driver or passenger.
The Rape Crisis Centre (RCC) said these figures were almost certainly an undercount, as they captured only victims who had come forward to a SATU. RCC chief executive Rachel Morrogh praised the lengthy sentence imposed on Shorten but said urgent action was needed to reduce the number of victims of sexual offences in taxis.
The case has prompted questions in the Dáil around the licensing of taxi drivers. Shorten carried out the rapes of the two passengers while under investigation for the rape of the young child.
[ Rapist Raymond Shorten likely attacked other women, Garda Commissioner saysOpens in new window ]
Gardaí have discretion to revoke licences if they think a driver may be a danger to others. However, they are under no automatic obligation to do so.
In response to queries, Garda Headquarters noted Shorten’s conviction and said it took its responsibility to grant taxi licences “very seriously and with the utmost gravity”.
It said it had revoked Shorten’s licence as soon as it started investigating him for the attacks on passengers.
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