Victims’ relief over Worboys parole defeat

JOHN WORBOYS, the “black cab rapist”, must remain in prison for at least two more years after a new Parole Board hearing judged him to be a danger to women who still believes “rape is acceptable”.

A previous decision to approve the release of Worboys had caused a scandal that prompted a High Court review, a change in the law and the resignation of the Parole Board’s chairman.

Last night, Worboys’ victims welcomed the new ruling while expressing bewilderment that the board had less than a year earlier concluded he no longer posed a threat to women.

One of his victims – known only as DSD – who had taken the board to court over its initial decision to release Worboys, said: “I feel vindicated, we were right all along and didn’t make it up.

“We knew this man was a danger to women and we felt compelled to take action. It was the right decision for us to act and thank goodness we did.”

Carrie Symonds, the Conservative Party’s former communications director who was just 19 when she was drugged by Worboys in his taxi, said: “This is an incredible relief. It was the most horrendous shock to be informed earlier this year that Worboys was to be released with absolutely no good reason. Myself and other victims were sure then, as we are now, that he still poses a real danger to women.

“The Parole Board and the justice system let us down very badly but today us victims who fought to keep him behind bars have been vindicated.”

Worboys, 61, is believed to have drugged and sexually assaulted more than 100 women during a decade-long reign of terror as a black cab driver in London.

He was given an indeterminate sentence and ordered to serve a minim of eight years in 2009 after being convicted of 19 offences against 12 women.

The Crown Prosecution Service said yesterday it is currently considering fresh charges against Worboys after a file of evidence was handed over by the Metropolitan Police.

The Parole Board issued a two-page summary, explaining its decision.

The panel was given a 1,255-page dossier, prepared by the Ministry of Justice, and found a number of risk factors including: “Sexual preoccupation, a sense of sexual entitlement, his attitudes towards women (including a need to have sexual contact), a belief that rape is acceptable, alcohol misuse and problems with relationships.”

It had also taken account the fresh Scotland Yard investigation into new historical allegations.