RUNNING through the streets of Leicester, fearing for her life, all Aria Selene could do was think about the man she was escaping.
Following a boozy night out with friends in 2023, the 20-year-old had been ushered into a fake taxi – and was held captive, raped and beaten by the monstrous driver.
Aria, a bartender, says: “That night I just wanted to get home, but I faced my worst nightmare and thought I would die.”
At the time, Aria lived alone in a city-centre apartment in Leicester and was working at a bar nearby.
She and her best friend, Charlie Parker, 20, also a bartender, both had the night off work so they went out in town together, for a few drinks and a catch-up.
Aria recalls: “At around 3am, we called it a night. By then, I was a little tipsy, but still in control.
“I waited for Charlie to get his Uber outside the bar.
“After hugging him goodbye, as my flat was only five minutes away, I decided to walk.
“I’d always avoided taxis after reading horror news stories about them.
“But after setting off, I felt woozy, and my vision was blurry. The next thing I remember was being inside the back of a taxi.
Held captive
“Gazing around the backseat, I was really confused. The taxi driver was circling the city centre.
“I asked him if I could please get out but he ignored me.
“I realised he wasn’t taking me home and I started to panic. He continued doing circles.
“I started to shout, ‘Let me out please!’ But nothing.”
Petrified, Aria frantically tried to open the door but it was locked.
The driver kept going in circles for hours before eventually stopping by a dark alleyway.
I worried he was going to kill me. Going crazy in the seat, I began kicking and shaking the door as hard as I could.
Aria Selene
Aria says: “Somehow, I found myself being pulled into the front passenger seat.
“I was screaming at him to get off, and he shouted for me to shut the hell up and pinned me down.
“I was hysterical, kicking and trying to fight back. But he began punching me in the face, hard.
“I lost consciousness again. When I came to, he’d ripped off all my clothes and was on top of me, raping me.
“After, he got off me and went back to his seat. I was hysterical, promising him I wouldn’t tell anyone and to let me go home.
“I worried he was going to kill me. Going crazy in the seat, I began kicking and shaking the door as hard as I could.”
Ran through Leicester naked
By miracle, Aria managed to kick the door open and leapt out of the car.
With only her shoes and socks on, she ran through the city streets, naked, desperate to get home to safety.
In a stroke of luck, she bumped into a group of men who turned out to be police officers.
Aria says: “I looked up and saw seven men in bright yellow high-vis jackets and walkie-talkies.
“I couldn’t believe they were police officers.
“I broke down, telling them everything and they covered me with a blanket. They were asking me where he was.
“Desperately trying to retrace my footsteps, I realised the man not only had my clothes, but also my phone.”
Pal’s clever trick
Luckily, Aria and her friends all had a tracking app on each other’s phones, called Life360, due to “often losing each other on nights out”.
“Whenever one of us disappeared, we’d check the map and find them. We even used it to check we all got home safe,” she continues.
“I told [the police] that they could check Charlie’s phone to see where my phone was.”
After that, Aria was taken to a police station whilst other officers sped over to Charlie’s house.
Hearing how he was a normal father and husband made me feel sick. I felt awful for his wife too.
Aria says: “They woke Charlie and saw my phone on his map app, parked at a house 15 minutes away from the city.
“They sped over, and the man’s wife answered the door. They had a newborn baby and the man was asleep in bed.
“Police stormed inside, and found my phone underneath some diapers he’d hidden under the bed, and my clothes were stuffed underneath his pillow.
“Through CCTV footage, they saw him also pretending to be a taxi driver, driving into the pick-up zone where I was seen getting in.”
15 years in jail
The man who’d raped her was Zaheer Shah, 38.
“I couldn’t believe it. Hearing how he was a normal father and husband made me feel sick,” Aria says. “I felt awful for his wife too.”
Despite damning evidence, Shah denied everything and the case was forced to go to trial.
Aria says: “As I waited for the trial, I struggled to go out, and became a recluse.
The rise of fake taxis in the UK
In recent years, the UK has seen a troubling increase in the number of fake taxis operating in major cities.
These unauthorised vehicles often mimic the appearance of legitimate cabs, making it difficult for passengers to distinguish between the two.
The Metropolitan Police has urged the public to remain vigilant, recommending the use of licensed taxi services and pre-booking rides through reputable apps.
Passengers are advised to always check for proper licensing and identification, and to share journey details with friends or family.
Ciara Bergman, CEO at Rape Crisis England & Wales, told The Sun: “It’s absolutely appalling to hear about women being raped and sexually assaulted by men posing as taxi drivers or anyone else in a position of trust or service.
“The trauma and distress that sexual violence causes survivors can never be underestimated, and when it includes deceit of this nature, the impact extends beyond that survivor and makes all other people who use taxis feel more vulnerable, and more frightened.
“We expect the perpetrators of these crimes to be held fully and appropriately accountable for this – all too often they are not”.
“I suffered with flashbacks and turned to alcohol to self-medicate.
“Friends would check in. But I couldn’t come to terms with what happened to me.”
In March 2024, Shah, of Leicester, was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of actual bodily harm (ABH) against Aria.
He was sentenced to 15 years at Leicester Crown Court.
Aria says: “I finally had the justice I deserved. It felt like the biggest weight lifted from me.
“Knowing he’d be behind bars for 15 years, I was glad no other women could get hurt.
“Looking back, I would’ve never gone to the police had I not bumped into them that night. But it was clearly meant to be.
“Charlie and my friends have been my rock throughout this.
“And I’m slowly trying to get my life back together, seeing friends and becoming the happy person I was.
“I want to encourage all women to get tracking apps and share locations. It could save your life.”
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