The harrowing experience of Carrie Johnson, the wife of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is set to be depicted in a forthcoming true crime television drama focusing on the notorious serial rapist John Worboys. This portrayal comes nearly two decades after the traumatic incident where Worboys, operating as a London taxi driver, administered spiked vodka to the then-19-year-old university student.
Miriam Petche to Portray Carrie Johnson in ITV's Believe Me
In the ITV production titled Believe Me, Carrie Johnson will be played by actress Miriam Petche, who is widely recognized for her role in the BBC's financial drama Industry. The series aims to chronicle the distressing events of 2007, when Carrie, then a first-year student at Warwick University, was targeted by Worboys after a night out on London's King's Road. She is believed to have been his youngest victim at the time.
Carrie Johnson's Statement on the Drama's Purpose
Carrie Johnson, now 37, has publicly expressed her hopes that this drama will act as a crucial wake-up call to key institutions such as the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and the parole board. She emphasized that women and girls are too frequently failed by the very systems designed to protect them, describing the treatment of victims in this case as truly shameful.
Reflecting on her ordeal, she recounted making it home only to collapse like a rag doll in front of her mother. Six months later, she learned of the arrest of a black cab driver, though she stated she will never fully know what occurred after being drugged.
Daniel Mays and Aimee-Ffion Edwards Join the Cast
The drama features acclaimed actor Daniel Mays in the role of John Worboys, infamously known as the Black Cab Rapist. Additionally, Slow Horses actress Aimee-Ffion Edwards will portray Sarah, another victim of Worboys, whose identity has been altered for protection. Sarah highlighted that Believe Me is fundamentally about the courage of every woman who came forward to help incarcerate John Worboys.
Background on John Worboys and the Case
John Worboys, now identified as John Radford, was convicted in 2009 for attacks on 12 women and later in 2019 for an additional four assaults. Carrie Johnson was among nearly 100 women who reported to the police, and she was one of 14 selected to testify in court. The drama, written by Jeff Pope, is anticipated to premiere this spring, shedding light on the systemic failures and the bravery of the victims involved.
