Saudi authorities arrested an expat driver working for a Saudi family after he attempted to rape and murder his employer's daughter last week, Sabq news site reported.
The terrifying assault took place in Mecca's Al-Sharae district as the Pakistani man was driving the woman back home.
The victim became suspicious after the man suddenly took a different route. That's when he stopped the car and attempted to sexually assault her.
When she tried to fend him off, the attacker stabbed her in the head and arm. The victim was referred to King Faisal Hospital and received treatment for the injuries she sustained during the vile attack.
Authorities later learned that the man - who was found to be under the influence of alcohol - panicked when he saw the victim bleeding.
He then drove her to a local medical center and threw her out of the vehicle before fleeing the scene.
The man drove the car back to his employer's house and parked it right in front of the residence. The victim's family found bloodstains all over the vehicle and immediately contacted authorities who then found and arrested the assailant.
Similar assaults aren't uncommon in Saudi Arabia
Activists have always raised alarm about attacks on women in vehicles and taxis as they aren't uncommon in the kingdom.
Before Saudi women won their right to drive back in 2017, all woman in the kingdom depended on chauffeurs to drive them around. This contributed to a higher number of assaults in taxis and cars.
In 2018, Saudi authorities arrested a taxi driver after a video of him sexually harassing a female passenger was circulated online. A year before that, footage capturing a female taxi passenger being assaulted by a driver eventually led to the abuser's arrest.
Sexual harassment is still a problem in the country
Like almost every country in the world, women in Saudi Arabia risk being sexually harassed in public.
Authorities are aware of this issue and continuously work to make arrests every time an incident is reported.
Despite that, activists argue that, more often than not, police only take serious action when footage capturing an assault trends online. That's simply not enough to protect victims or prevent attacks from taking place.
Many believe the only real solution available is the strict application of the country's anti-sexual harassment law.
