THE decision to allow a rapist taxi driver to keep his operating licence has “eroded public confidence” in the local authority and sends a “stark message” that other interests are deemed more important than those of survivors, a charity has said.
Six male councillors have been under fire since they voted in favour of a rapist taxi driver keeping his operating licence, with four women members of the committee opposing the decision.
David Brown, of Croy, near Inverness, was convicted earlier this year of raping an 18-year-old woman in a lay-by near a farm in the Highlands in December 2023.
The 50-year-old had picked up the teenager after she had been on a night out in Inverness and subjected the teen to what Judge Lord Renucci described as a “terrifying ordeal”.
He then dumped the vulnerable teen in freezing temperatures in Dingwall.
Brown was sentenced to six years and nine months at the High Court in Stirling.
Highland licensing committee voted in private last week to take no action on Brown's operator's licence following a request from his family.
The decision has since led to fierce public outcry, with four of the six male councillors resigning from the committee, with one being expelled from his local party’s group.
Rape and Sexual Abuse Service Highland (RASASH) chief executive Romy Rehfeld said the decision has had a detrimental effect on public confidence with how the local authority will make decisions regarding the safety of women and girls.
“The lack of transparency about why this decision was made has led to women and girls feeling less safe – particularly when taxis are something women are actively told to use to keep themselves safe at night,” she said.
“Irrespective of the reasoning, the decision to continue the operating licence of a convicted rapist – who used his profession to attack a teenage girl – sends a stark message that other interests are deemed more important than those of survivors, and it erodes public confidence that institutions will make decisions which prioritise the safety of women and girls.”
Police Scotland had objected to the operator's licence continuing in Brown's name.
Scottish Liberal Democrat councillor John Grafton said he had voted in favour of taking no action to “protect” Brown's family, according to the BBC.
The councillor said he had asked officials if there were any legal implications around the licence, and that he had assured himself that Brown “presented no current threat”.
Grafton said the remaining vehicle licence would expire “well before” Brown was due for release, and added that “we are not here to punish – that is the job of the courts”.
He has since been expelled from the LibDems Highland group over his decision to back Brown.
Rehfeld added: “Acts of sexual violence rarely have just one victim. They cause immense harm to the individual, families, and the wider community.
“It is essential that more men play a role in tackling gender-based violence, including holding perpetrators to account, and understanding the wider impact of a decision like this.”
The LibDem Highland group said in a statement on Sunday that they plan to work with other groups “to review processes and procedures of the licensing committee whilst ensuring that the ‘Fit and Proper’ test for all applicants is at the centre for all decisions”.
The statement added that “women’s, children’s and public safety is recognised as being of paramount importance when determining licensing matters.”
The committee chairman, Sean Kennedy, along with Duncan Macpherson, Willie MacKay and Grafton, have resigned from the committee.
A Highland Council spokesperson said: "The licensing committee decision will now be referred to a future meeting of The Highland Council for further consideration by all members"
