Abdul Nabizada, a private hire taxi driver, has been jailed for seven years for raping a teenage girl he picked up in Edinburgh. The sentence was handed down at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, August 11, after a jury found him guilty last year.
Attack in November 2021
The 19-year-old victim entered Nabizada's taxi in the early hours of November 13, 2021, believing it was the vehicle she had booked. Instead of taking her home, Nabizada, now 36, seized her mobile phone and drove to a secluded area in Joppa, where he raped her.
The victim managed to escape the vehicle and contacted friends, who found her distressed and frightened shortly afterward. CCTV footage from Queens Bay Crescent showed Nabizada repeatedly returning to the area after the attack.
Investigation and evidence
The conviction followed an extensive Police Scotland investigation. Officers had to identify the offender despite there being no legitimate booking record linking the victim to Nabizada. Investigators gathered evidence from multiple sources, including CCTV, mobile phone data, and witness testimony, to establish the movements of both the victim and the offender.
Forensic analysis found Nabizada's DNA on the victim's clothing, supporting the Crown case. In addition to the jail term, Nabizada's name has been added to the sex offenders register indefinitely, and a non-harassment order was granted.
Prosecutor's statement
Faye Cook, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said: "This conviction is the result of the victim's courage in coming forward and the determined work of police officers to uncover what happened that night. Officers had to piece together evidence from a range of sources to identify the offender and build the case that was presented in court."
Cook added: "The victim should have been able to trust that her journey home would be safe. Instead, she was seriously sexually assaulted by a taxi driver who took advantage of her vulnerability and abused his position resulting in a deeply traumatic experience. While stranger offending is rare, Scotland's prosecutors treat every report of sexual abuse with the utmost seriousness, recognising the profound and lasting impact these crimes have on victims and communities. I hope this conviction provides reassurance that reports will be thoroughly investigated and that COPFS will work with policing partners to ensure offenders are held accountable."
