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 allowing him to move to open prison conditions, where inmates 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 about one to two years, dependent on Ministry of Justice decisions and his progress in prison.
A victim known as Sarah, who campaigned to keep him behind bars, 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 after taking a spiked drink, 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 coaxed victims into taking drug-laced drinks after they entered his cab, claiming he had won the lottery or betting on horses. In 2018, the Parole Board initially decided he could be freed after nearly 10 years, but that decision was reversed after a legal challenge. A 2019 probation report found he was 'potentially just as dangerous now as at the point of the first sentence'. Four more victims came forward that year, leading to two life sentences with a minimum term of six years.
The case has drawn renewed attention following the ITV drama 'Believe Me', which focuses on Sarah's story and how victims were failed by the Metropolitan police. In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that police owed human rights damages to two victims after failing to arrest or charge Worboys in 2003 and 2007, allowing him to assault up to 100 more women.
