Anger Over Proposed Worboys Release
Putney woman was one of the scores of victims of the black cab rapist
Victim support groups have reacted with anger to the announcement that John Worboys is being considered for parole having served less than ten years in jail
The black cab driver was jailed ‘indefinitely’ in 2009 after a string of sexual assaults on young women. He was found guilty of rape and 18 other charges. Following publicity surrounding the case many more women came forward to say they had been attacked by Worboys. In all it is estimated that he carried out over 100 rapes and sexual assault between 2002 and 2008.
John Worboys
When he found a lone female in central London he would tell them that he had just won the lottery and invite them to join him in drinking a glass of champagne. The drink was spiked with a mixture of drugs which left his victims incapable of defending themselves. One of his victims was a woman from Putney whom he picked up outside a club on Tottenham Court Road on 21 December 2007. He raped her after driving her home with DNA evidence being used to convict him.
When he was sentenced, Justice Penry-Davey said that Worboys would not be released until a parole board decides he is no longer a threat to women.
The decision to consider Worboys for release without informing all of his victims has been questioned by the chairman of the Parole Board Nick Hardwick who said he was very concerned about the way the case had been handled and apologised unreservedly to the women affected.
The Parole Board said, “We can confirm that a three-member panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Mr John Worboys, following an oral hearing.
“The arrangements for Mr Worboys’ release will be managed by the Ministry of Justice.”
Karen Ingala Smith, chief executive of nia, a non-profit organisation that supports victims of male violence, said, “The police believe that Worboys may have raped more than 100 women, others think this is a conservative estimate.
“He’s served nine years and nine months, that’s just over a month per rape victim. How can we say justice has been served?”
Worboys will be subject to strict licence conditions which will require him to report to a probation officer every week and bar him from any contact with his victims.
January 5, 2018