Uber ‘shared rape records with its boss’

Uber obtained the medical records of an Indian woman who had been raped during a cab ride and they were shared with the company’s chief, it has emerged.

Eric Alexander, who ran Uber’s business in Asia, showed the records to chief executive Travis Kalanick and to Emil Michael, the company’s senior vice president, according to tech site Recode.

The news site alleges that Uber was trying to see if the woman’s attack could have been part of a smear by rival Indian ride-sharing firm Ola.

Alexander no longer works at Uber. The 2014 rape case was a landmark event for Uber, which applauded the sentencing of the rapist to life. Uber told the BBC that Alexander no longer worked there but offered no further comment.

The firm said that it was stepping up its safety procedures and background checks at the time as a result of lessons learned. Uber’s reputation has been under fire with question marks over its work practices and sexual harassment.

The tech firm said on Tuesday that it had dismissed 20 staff as part of an investigation into sexual harassment and other misconduct.