The new four-part drama Believe Me tells the story of the women attacked by John Worboys, the so-called 'black-cab rapist'. Created by Jeff Pope, the series focuses on the survivors and their fight for justice, deliberately pushing the perpetrator into the background. Pope has said he is not interested in exploring the minds of psychopaths, preferring instead to highlight the heroism of ordinary people and the failings of institutions.
The first two episodes follow two women: Sarah (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), a new mother who wakes up in hospital after a night out with no memory of how she got there, and Laila (Aasiya Shah), a young woman whose friends leave her alone in a cab. Both report their suspicions to the police, only to face scepticism and dismissive questioning. Sarah is subjected to invasive tests and a barrage of questions about her drug use, while Laila must repeatedly explain her physical evidence, including a missing tampon and torn jeans button.
The drama highlights the failures of the police and judicial system, which showed little interest in pursuing justice for the victims. Director Julia Ford uses close-ups to convey the trauma of the women, and the series is a compelling addition to the growing body of work exposing systemic failures in handling rape cases.
