Alleged sexual assault by taxi driver prompts woman to sue Montreal

A woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by a Montreal taxi driver is suing the city and the Quebec TransportCommission for $250,000.

The lawsuit claimsthat officials failed toensure the city's taxi transportation service issafe.

No charges have been laid against the taxi driver.

I think that his permit should be removed at once.Leslie-Anne Wood, lawyer

In the lawsuit, Marie-Anne Legaultallegesshewas assaulted by a cab driver during the early morning hours ofSept. 18, 2014.

Legaultsaysshe took a cab home after a beer with a friend at N sur Mackay, a downtown bar.

She says she sat in the back seat, but the driver insisted that she sit up front and she eventually agreed.

That's when the driver started to touch her and kiss her on the neck, Legaultalleges.

She says she managed to escape by asking the driver to stop at a bank to let herwithdraw some cash.

Lawsuit alleges prior assault

This morning on CBC'sDaybreak,Legault'slawyer Leslie-Anne Woodtold host MikeFinnertythe taxi bureau and the police should be acting quickly to protect women while they conduct their investigations if complaints are brought forward against drivers.

"I think that his permit should be removed at once," Wood said.

In the motion filed in court,Legault'slawyers argue, "theforeseeabilityof the assault suffered by Ms.Legaultis [undeniable]: the same driver allegedly assaulted at least one other woman under similarcircumstances previously."

The lawsuit also states thatthere is a worrying numberof sexual assaults linked to taxi drivers already reported toMontreal police.

A statement of defence has not yet been filed in the case.

Montreal police received 33 complaints of assaults of a sexual nature linked to a taxi driver in 2013, and 27 in 2014,according to information obtained through a freedom of information request by Wood.

Complaint to taxi bureau allegedly ridiculed

Legaultalso alleges officials failed to take her complaints seriously.

The lawsuit statesthat when Legaultreported the incident to the MontrealTaxi Bureau a few weeks later, she was treated aggressively and ridiculed.

The Montreal Taxi Bureau would not comment on the specifics of the case, but a spokesperson said their protocol is to forward all complaints of sexual assault to police.

The City of Montreal has declined to comment.

Quebec Transport Minister Robert Poti said he'll be looking into the case.

The next court date for the lawsuit isApril 27.