Judge dismisses rape charge filed against Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting passenger

PITTSBURGH — A judge has dismissed the most serious charge filed against an Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting a rider.

The incident happened in March and the victim spent time at the courthouse testifying about what she remembers from that day.

Despite her testimony, the judge dismissed the two most serious charges against the Uber driver.

Uber driver Mustafa Al Ghurairi is still behind bars at the Allegheny County Jail, but that could soon change, now that a judge dismissed the rape charge against him at Monday’s preliminary hearing.

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Al Ghurairi’s defense attorney argued the victim’s testimony was “too shaky” after she testified she did not remember much of the day that the alleged assault happened.

The victim testified she and her friends were celebrating Pitt’s Patty Day in March and had been drinking since the morning.

A friend called her an Uber, and when Al Ghurairi arrived, that friend told him the victim was drunk and to make sure she got home safely.

From there, the victim testified she couldn’t recall much of the ride home, but did remember that Al Ghurairi was inside her home and in her bed.

She told the judge she went to the hospital for a sexual assault exam the next morning.

Weeks later, Al Ghuriari was charged with rape and taken to jail. But, as of Monday, that charge has been dismissed.

Now that a judge dismissed the rape charge, a defense attorney will likely ask for a bond modification hearing which means that Al Ghurairi could be let out of jail.

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