John Worboys appeal - as it happened: High Court reverses decision to release 'black cab rapist'
Victory has 'brought huge relief', victim says
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Victims of black cab rapist John Worboys have won their legal challenge against a decision to release him from prison.
A ruling in the landmark case was given by three judges at the High Court in London, who heard evidence over two days earlier this month.
Lawyers for two of Worboys’ victims had argued that the Parole Board’s decision to release the 60-year-old serial sex attacker was “irrational”, and should be overturned.
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The Parole Board must reconsider, judges ruled on Tuesday morning – just minutes after the body’s chairman resigned.
Officials should have held further inquiry into Worboys’ offending and his “overall credibility and reliability”, Sir Brian Leveson said.
He also said the board’s Rule 25, which currently bars disclosure of information about its decisions, was incompatible with the principle of open justice.
Worboys, who now goes by the name Radford, was jailed indefinitely in 2009 with a minimum term of eight years after being found guilty of 19 offences, including rape, sexual assault and drugging, committed against 12 victims.
He became known as the black cab rapist after attacking victims in his hackney carriage.
Police believe he committed crimes against 105 women between 2002 and 2008, when he was caught.
The two victims who brought the case believe something went “badly wrong” with the Parole Board’s decision to free him.
They said the Parole Board should have taken into account “critical evidence” of the “wider allegations” against Worboys.
The judges heard that Worboys, who has served 10 years behind bars, including remand time, has denied committing any offences other than those for which he was convicted.
The Parole Board argued that its decision was “lawful and and rational” and was based on appropriate evidence.
London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan and The Sun newspaper also took part in the legal action.
The solicitor thanks supporters who have donated money to enable the two victims to bring their case.
Rachel Krys, co-director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, says it "can't be right" for members of the public to fund a case with such strong public interest.
She pays tribute to the lawyers, adding: "We do need to have an urgent review of as a society of how we prosecute these really difficult and high-harm crimes...we have got a justice system that is failing to give us justice."
She says police originally failed to listen to some of Worboys' victims, calling on the Government to talk about what is going wrong: "This is about investing in a system that we all agree is very important, and has for too many years been done on the cheap."
DSD, one of the victims who brought the challenge, is breaking down as she thanks her lawyers.
"It's wrong that we had to be put in this situation, as victims we should be supported and helped in court, not fight every step of the way."
DSD calls for victims linked to the case outside the 12 who had their attacks prosecuted to have some sort of input in the new Parole Board hearing
"I'm absolutely thrilled and I have confidence that the Parole Board, although they made the wrong decision, will make the right decision this side.
"You can't put the blame on them, it was the whole system that failed...I feel like I've been let down at every step."
DSD says that if her case didn't reach the evidential threshold used by police and prosecutors, there is little hope for anyone. Ms Wistrich says there were other "really strong cases" that were not prosecuted.
DSD says she still doesn't understand why her case wasn't prosecuted.
"The way it was explained to us is that there were 85 victims...it's not logistically possibly to get all of those in court, so they reduced it down to the strongest cases so he would get the longest sentence - we were happy with that."
The medication used to drug DSD was found in her blood when it was tested the following day after the attack in 2003.
But the offences he was prosecuted for started in 2006, making the time period considered by the Parole Board much shorter than the real scale of attacks.
Lawyers have passed new evidence to police in the hope that the CPS will bring new prosecutions, but officials have said DSD's case will not be considered.
Ms Wistrich says police are investigating a case she referred from 1999, "as I understand it they are still investigating cases".
DSD says she's "not quite ready to give up" the fight for justice yet but will have to move on with her lives at some point.
"I want women to be able to go to the police, report a crime and have it dealt with adequately, but resources are a big problem and that needs to be looked at."
DSD says she's very grateful to members of the public who contributed to a crowdfunding campaign to bring the judicial review but there "absolutely should have been" other financial support.
She says another victim has now gained the confidence to come forward because of the court case.
"Anybody who hasn't come forward I would like them to speak out, for their own peace of mind, but I totally understand why they don't and I don't think anyone can be judged for the right or wrong decision."
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