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In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a teenage girl on her way to work in North Sydney was allegedly attacked by the ride-share driver she had entrusted to get her to her destination safely.
The DiDi driver allegedly stopped mid-ride, climbed in the back, and sexually assaulted the 17-year-old. After police were called to Carlow Street, North Sydney about 7.30am, the teenager was assessed and taken to hospital.
The driver, 50-year-old Amarbayasgalan Yondonlodoi, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon at Sydney Airport and charged with detaining the girl and aggravated sexual assault.
The terrifying alleged attack followed concerns raised by the Herald that new laws protecting gig workers may be allowing ride-share drivers accused of assault to have their employment reinstated.
A spokesperson for DiDi said it assisted police with their investigation and suspended the driver from the platform, adding that the safety of the ride-sharing community was “always our top priority”. Drivers are required to submit police and licence checks and identity verification to sign up on the app.
Yondonlodoi was denied bail and will next face court on July 30.
The Herald reported in February that Uber drivers accused of sexual harassment and threatening behaviour are being reinstated after being banned from the app because the ride-sharing giant did not ask alleged victims to testify about their experiences. The company cannot compel alleged victims to testify at the Fair Work Commission.
Commission rulings criticised the company’s internal complaints-handling processes, finding it failed to properly engage with new laws introduced last year that give gig economy workers an employee-like appeals avenue to challenge “deactivation” via the commission.
In one instance, an Uber driver banned after 16 misconduct allegations – including speeding, crashing while using his phone and making sexualised comments – won his job back and a year of lost pay after the workplace tribunal blasted Uber’s failure to gather evidence and its bot’s “nonsensical” messages.
There has been a spate of attacks against ride-share passengers resulting in criminal charges. In 2024, driver Mohamad Pili-Bake allegedly raped a woman in the back of the car in a car park in Sydney’s inner west. His trial is listed for August.
In 2021, Melbourne Uber driver Hafiz Babar pleaded guilty to raping an 18-year-old passenger, telling her he could “make her ride cheaper” before the attack.
In 2020, Onur Dedeoglu was convicted of indecent assault and rape after attacking a 17-year-old girl who was asleep in the back of the car in Bondi. He was jailed for eight years.
Meanwhile, predators have been posing as Uber drivers to attack victims.
Mohamed Maan Hammoud was convicted of sexually touching an 18-year-old who mistook his car for an Uber outside a pub in Paddington in 2022. The woman was able to record the incident on her phone.
Zorigoo Zurshig was convicted of two counts of rape for attacking a woman who had gotten into his car thinking it was her Uber in 2024.
Identifying the perpetrator isn’t always possible: Melbourne woman Tansy Gorman said she watched a car pull up at the same time her app showed her Uber was approaching. When the driver confirmed that he was her Uber driver, she got in and was assaulted. Police were unable to locate her attacker.
Uber announced the rollout of its “Women Preferences” feature in the US in March, allowing women passengers to choose a woman driver. The feature has not been rolled out in Australia.
Uber has been contacted for comment.
NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner Anthony Wing, who oversees passenger services, said his team conducts audits, investigations and on-street operations to proactively monitor journeys. He released industry guidelines outlining steps that service providers should take to manage risks to women’s safety.
“My aim as the regulator is to keep people safe, and I will take action when a company fails to meet their legal obligations,” he said.
In late 2025, Uber was convicted and fined $250,000 after pleading guilty to 57 offences for allowing ineligible drivers to provide passenger services, while in 2024, Didi was fined more than $97,000 after a safety audit.
Across the 2024-25 financial year, the commissioner received 259 reports of an incident involving sexual assault, indecent exposure, physical assault, threats or intimidation resulting in a complaint to police across all passenger services. In 195 incidents, the alleged instigator was a passenger.
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Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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