A Saudi woman’s claim that an expat taxi driver assaulted her was false, Taif police said on Wednesday, according to media reports.

Lt. Col. Turki Al-Shehri, spokesman for Taif Police, said the police investigated her claims and found no evidence of injuries or bruises.

The police also discovered that she had a history of mental illness and had previously been a patient at Taif Mental Health Hospital.

The Saudi mother, who is in her 30s, claimed on Monday morning that a Pakistani driver had verbally and physically assaulted her after she refused to get into his cab and give him her phone number, while she was walking home after dropping off her children at school in Al-Aqiq Road.

She claimed the driver slapped her, tore off her niqab, pulled her hair, threw her to the ground, and kicked her in the chest. She alleged the man wore a thobe, but was sure he was a Pakistani.

She also claimed that four Saudis tried to help her, but could not overpower the man because he threatened them with bricks. She had cried all the way to Al-Salamah police station because the assault had left her in pain, she claimed.

“The operations room received on Monday a report from a female citizen claiming she was harassed and beaten up by an Asian expat.

Police officers immediately went to investigate the incident,” said Al-Shehri.

“The police started searching for the man and his vehicle based on the description provided by the woman,” Al-Shehri said.

The police also referred the woman to a hospital. “The hospital reported back to us saying the woman did not have any injuries or bruises,” said Al-Shehri. “We also found that the woman suffers from a mental illness, and that she has a medical record that proves the history of her illness,” he said.

Brig. Abdullah bin Ayedh Al-Suhaimi, Jeddah police chief, had followed up on the probe conducted by the criminal investigations directorate of the Taif Police.