Black cab rapist John Worboys denied parole – as he admits targeting 90 victims
Black cabbie rapist John Worboys has been denied parole for the second time and will remain in prison.
Worboys is a serial sex predator who lures women into his taxi late at night, falsely pretending to have won money, and offering them an apparently drugged celebratory drink.
He now admits to assaulting 90 women, according to a Parole Board report released on Thursday, which did not recommend he be released or moved to an open prison.
Carrie Johnson, wife of former prime minister Boris Johnson, said she was relieved by the decision. Ms Johnson was a student when she encountered Worboys after a night out in London and gave evidence against him at his trial.
shared on x: “It has been an extremely anxious wait knowing Worboys is ready for parole again.
“It’s hard to put into words the relief I feel knowing he will stay behind bars.
“Women and girls in Britain are safer as a result of this decision.”
Worboys was first jailed in London in 2009 for 19 sexual offenses linked to attacks on 12 victims between October 2006 and February 2008, and was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment for a minimum of eight years for public protection.
In December 2017, a parole board panel ruled he was ready to be released, prompting a legal challenge from two of his victims to successfully overturn the decision.
Amid outrage over the shooting, rules were changed to allow some parole hearings to be held in public and to allow better scrutiny of the processes used.
Publicity of the case led to more victims coming forward and Worboys was charged with further offenses between 2000 and 2008, which he admitted.
In 2019, he was given two life sentences with a minimum of six years.
A Parole Board spokesman said: “We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board refused to release John Worboys following a paper review. “The board also rejected a recommendation for transfer to an open prison.
“Parole Board decisions focus solely on what risk a prisoner might pose to the community if released and whether that risk is manageable within the community. “The panel was not satisfied that he no longer posed a risk to the public and therefore did not order his release.
“A panel will carefully consider a wide range of evidence, including details of the original crime and any evidence of a change in behaviour, as well as investigating the harm caused and the impact of the crime on the victims.
“Parole reviews are conducted thoroughly and with the utmost care. Protecting the public is our No. 1 priority.
“According to current legislation, he will be subject to re-examination in due course. The date of the next review will be determined by the Ministry of Justice.”
The decision comes just days after a new ITV drama premiered. Believe me, Which It tells the story of how young women joined forces to put their rapist Worboys behind bars and hold the Metropolitan Police to account.
Daniel Mays as John Worboys Believe me, She explained that she “underestimated how much it affected me psychologically” and opted to receive therapy on set after initially turning it down.
“I’m being asked to humanize a monster,” he said. “You have a responsibility to play them as three-dimensionally as possible.”
