Helsinki taxi driver sentenced to 6 years for drugging, raping women

A 43-year-old taxi driver, Arian Juhana Rezaji, has been sentenced by the Helsinki District Court to 6 years and 3 months in prison for drugging and raping four women he picked up in his vehicle.

Some of the events occurred from December 2019 to April 2021, when the police released the investigation and arrested the suspect.

The court considers it proven that the defendant had been driving a taxi in the capital area, with which he picked up unaccompanied women - preferably intoxicated - at taxi ranks.

Later, instead of taking them to their intended destination, during the trip he provided them with more alcohol and possibly other substances before taking them to an apartment in Lohja, and to another place on the outskirts of Helsinki, where he raped them.

Sometimes the assaults took place inside the taxi.

Defendant denied charges

One of the victims was 16 years old.

The man, who denied most of the charges during the trial, was convicted of 18 charges that include aggravated rape, deprivation of liberty, drug offenses and distribution of images with sexual content.

The police asked for collaboration last spring to locate other possible victims of the taxi driver. In the course of the investigation, more cases have emerged and new charges have been brought against the convicted man.

The sentence is not final.