The black-cab rapist John Worboys has been denied parole for the second time, the Parole Board confirmed on Thursday. The board decided against releasing him or moving him to open prison conditions, where offenders are held under minimal security and can work in the community.
Worboys, 68, was convicted in 2009 for assaulting victims after drugging them with spiked drinks. He was found guilty of sex offences against 16 women, but police believe he may have had more than 100 victims. His next parole hearing is not fixed but is expected in one to two years, dependent on Ministry of Justice decisions and his completion of required work.
A victim known as Sarah said: “Thank goodness the right decision has been made and the Parole Board have recognised what a danger he is. We can all sleep lighter knowing he is still behind bars.” Carrie Johnson, wife of former prime minister Boris Johnson, who testified against Worboys, added: “The relief I feel knowing that he will remain behind bars is hard to put into words. Women and girls across Britain are safer as a result of this decision.”
Worboys would coax victims into taking drug-laced drinks after they entered his cab, claiming to have won the lottery or betting on horses. In 2018, a previous Parole Board decision to release him was overturned after a legal challenge. A 2019 probation report found he was “potentially just as dangerous now as the point of the first sentence”. He was later handed two life sentences with a minimum term of six years after four more victims came forward.
The case has been highlighted in the ITV drama Believe Me, focusing on Sarah’s story and police failures. In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that police owed human rights damages to two victims after failing to arrest Worboys in 2003 and 2007, allowing him to assault up to 100 more women.
