Black-cab Rapist John Worboys Denied Parole, Posing High Risk to Women
John Worboys, the black-cab driver convicted of numerous sexual offences, will continue to serve his life sentence after the parole board concluded he remains a significant threat to women. The 68-year-old, now known as John Radford, was refused parole and a transfer to an open prison.
Worboys was initially convicted in 2009 for 19 sexual offences against 12 women, whom he lured into his taxi with drugged celebratory drinks. He received an indefinite sentence with a minimum term of eight years. Further victims came forward after initial publicity, leading to a life sentence with a six-year minimum in 2019 for crimes committed between 2000 and 2008. A 2019 prison psychologist's report indicated Worboys accepted preying on 90 individuals, suggesting the true number of victims is substantially higher.
Carrie Johnson, who encountered Worboys as a student and subsequently campaigned against his earlier proposed release, expressed relief at the decision, stating that “women and girls across Britain are safer as a result.” Johnson had previously waived her anonymity to recount her experience, where Worboys offered her a lift and insisted she drink a shot of vodka after she poured away champagne he offered. She reported remembering little after consuming the drink.
The parole board's decision, published on Thursday, noted Worboys “accepts that he does not currently meet the test for release” and claimed to feel “enormous regret, remorse and shame” towards his victims. Despite an earlier ruling that the hearing would be public, the decision was made behind closed doors via a paper review after Worboys indicated he did not wish to make a “premature” application for release.
