Bolt dashcam footage undermines girl's complaint in A Coruña, Spain

The false complaint exposed by the Bolt dashcam

Last weekend, a minor accused a Bolt driver in A Coruña, Spain, of an alleged sensual assault. The public prosecutor's office did not request pretrial detention and the judge released him on bail, although his licence was suspended as a precautionary measure. What seemed like just another case of sensual violence in the ride-hailing sector has taken a turn: the vehicle was fitted with a security camera and the footage appears to have disproved the complainant's version of events.

A complaint with few witnesses

According to judicial sources, the girl was travelling in the front passenger seat with three friends in the back. Her account centred on an alleged "ear licking", something her companions did not corroborate. The existence of a camera in the car — increasingly common among ride-hailing drivers as protection — was key to the judge doubting the credibility of the accusation.

The irreparable damage of an accusation

The driver, whose name is already circulating in the media as a presumed attacker, has lost days of work and must pay for his own legal defence. Even if the camera can prove his innocence, the social stigma has already taken hold. Meanwhile, the taxi sector is exploiting the controversy to push for more restrictions on ride-hailing services, ignoring the fact that its own industry keeps no equivalent record of complaints.

With the camera as a silent witness, the justice system appears headed towards finding that no crime was committed. The uncomfortable question: how many similar cases have no camera and come down to one person's word against another's?