A Manchester University graduate who was helping refugees in Lebanon was brutally raped, murdered then dumped at the roadside by an Uber driver on the way home from a night out, an inquest has heard. Rebecca Dykes, 30, who was described as a 'devoted humanitarian', had been travelling back from a night out in the Gemmayzeh district of Beirut when she was picked up by Uber driver Tariq Houshieh in December 2017.
Rebecca had been working for the Department for International Development since January 2017 and was helping Lebanon to cope with refugees from the war in Syria. She had graduated with a degree in social anthropology at the University of Manchester in 2005, and also had a MA in international security and global governance from Birkbeck, University of London.
Her body had been dumped at the side of the road after the cab driver raped her and strangled her with a cord from his hoodie. Houshieh was handed a death sentence in 2019 but is appealing to have it commuted, according to MyLondon.
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He was working as a taxi driver despite having a criminal record. He had twice been arrested for alleged harassment and theft, according to Agence-France Presse.
At a delayed inquest into her death at the Inner South London Coroner's court in Southwark on Wednesday (August 3), senior coroner Andrew Harrison quizzed British embassy in Beirut post security officer Alyson King about the security arrangements in place as he considered the need for a prevention of future deaths report.
King noted staff have a security brief on arrival, carry personal alarms, have monthly security meetings, regular workshops, and women's only sessions. In 2017 staff were also advised to only use three vetted taxi companies for personal travel - this meant anything done outside of the secure arrangements made for work. These three firms were covered in the security brief.
But she admitted: "It came to light afterwards, many staff were using other taxi companies when they found them convenient". Coroner Harrison pressed her on the issue, and said: "That suggested the brief was inadequate or not accepted as necessary...Were you satisfied with the adequacy of the briefing?"
King said 'yes' but added they continue to update the briefing. Coroner Harrison continued the grilling by asking how her response tallied with "extensive use of none approved taxi firms at that time". King said she was not in post at the time and would have to check meeting records to see if the issue was brought up.
Coroner Harrison suggested Rebecca's family would 'deeply appreciate' an answer and encouraged them to consult the Foreign and Commonwealth Office after the hearing.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office head of security Bharat Joshi said a special security visit after Rebecca's death concluded the 'security culture was very very strong'. Baffled by the claim, coroner Harrison then asked: "If the security culture was so strong why were so many staff using unregistered taxi services?"
Joshi responded, telling the court many staff 'choose to not follow that advice'. He also noted 'many people had been using Uber across Lebanon and there had never been a serious incident'.
He explained this was due to the 'familiarity' of Uber as a global brand and convenience. He recalled complaints by staff using the three vetted cab companies they had to wait '15-20 minutes'.
Rebecca's sister asked the witnesses to explain if her murder had led Uber to be 'positively not recommended' for embassy workers. King responded by explaining the advice had changed to reflect Lebanese government advice telling people to avoid the company.
In an emotional speech via video link, Rebecca's mum Jane Houng said: "I just hope that no parent has to go through what we have had to go through. One thing that pained me very much was that now embassy staff wear personal alarms. I think if Rebecca had been wearing a personal alarm at that point in time it probably would have saved her life.
"When I went to Lebanon shortly after her death and sat around the table with Rebecca's friends and colleagues they all said they used Uber. It was common place for personal travel that people used Uber taxis."
Making his conclusion of unlawful killing, coroner Harrison summed up the 'deeply tragic' hearing and said there were 'gaps in understanding' of the security arrangements at the time.
But, he noted 'great steps were taken' in the five years since and it was 'a matter for security' as 'nothing in life is risk free'. He added: "The risks are known and the steps have been taken."
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