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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/05/john-worboys-release-distressing-for-victims-says-parole-board-chair
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| John Worboys: alleged victims ready to bring fresh prosecutions, lawyer says | John Worboys: alleged victims ready to bring fresh prosecutions, lawyer says |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Alleged victims of the serial sex offender John Worboys are ready to bring fresh prosecutions against him and send him back to jail, their lawyer has said. | Alleged victims of the serial sex offender John Worboys are ready to bring fresh prosecutions against him and send him back to jail, their lawyer has said. |
| The victims, all women, are “devastated” by the imminent release of Worboys, who “denied his heinous crimes and then forced them to endure the torment of a criminal trial,” said Richard Scorer of Slater Gordon. | The victims, all women, are “devastated” by the imminent release of Worboys, who “denied his heinous crimes and then forced them to endure the torment of a criminal trial,” said Richard Scorer of Slater Gordon. |
| Scorer is representing women who successfully sued Worboys in the civil courts but were not included on the indictment in his 2009 trial despite giving statements to the police. | Scorer is representing women who successfully sued Worboys in the civil courts but were not included on the indictment in his 2009 trial despite giving statements to the police. |
| After serving nine years and nine months of an indeterminate sentence for drugging and sexually assaulting 12 women, including raping one of them, the Parole Board announced on Thursday that Worboys will be released. | After serving nine years and nine months of an indeterminate sentence for drugging and sexually assaulting 12 women, including raping one of them, the Parole Board announced on Thursday that Worboys will be released. |
| Police have estimated that Worboys may have attacked more than 100 women during 13 years as a London black-cab driver. The Crown Prosecution Service selected a limited number to bring criminal charges. | Police have estimated that Worboys may have attacked more than 100 women during 13 years as a London black-cab driver. The Crown Prosecution Service selected a limited number to bring criminal charges. |
| When she comes to, the victim finds Worboys attempting to put his hand inside her underwear. She reports it to the police | When she comes to, the victim finds Worboys attempting to put his hand inside her underwear. She reports it to the police |
| Remembers nothing more | Remembers nothing more |
| She escapes without being assaulted | She escapes without being assaulted |
| Remembers Worboys kissing her, but nothing more. The following day her legs are bruised | Remembers Worboys kissing her, but nothing more. The following day her legs are bruised |
| Remembers nothing more | Remembers nothing more |
| Victim six claimed she was drugged, but insisted on being taken home without being assaulted. Worboys was found not guilty of administering a drug with intent | Victim six claimed she was drugged, but insisted on being taken home without being assaulted. Worboys was found not guilty of administering a drug with intent |
| Victim seven picked up later the same evening. Drugged and sexually assaulted while unconscious, finding her tampon missing the following day. She reports it to the police | Victim seven picked up later the same evening. Drugged and sexually assaulted while unconscious, finding her tampon missing the following day. She reports it to the police |
| Worboys arrested after his cab's licence plate was identified on CCTV from the building where victim seven lived. Released on police bail and no further action is taken | Worboys arrested after his cab's licence plate was identified on CCTV from the building where victim seven lived. Released on police bail and no further action is taken |
| She reports the attack to police | She reports the attack to police |
| She reports the attack to police | She reports the attack to police |
| Worboys was found not guilty of administering a drug with intent | Worboys was found not guilty of administering a drug with intent |
| Remembers finding her skirt pushed to her waist. Later discovers from police that she had been forcibly penetrated with a vibrator | Remembers finding her skirt pushed to her waist. Later discovers from police that she had been forcibly penetrated with a vibrator |
| She goes to the police | She goes to the police |
| The court heard she lost a wristband which was later found at Worboys' home. | The court heard she lost a wristband which was later found at Worboys' home. |
| Worboys arrested at 10am on suspicion of repeated sexual assaults | Worboys arrested at 10am on suspicion of repeated sexual assaults |
| Total later rises to 14 as more victims come forward | Total later rises to 14 as more victims come forward |
| On Friday, the Parole Board was facing growing anger at the decision to release Worboys, and for the failure to inform all of his victims before the announcement was made. | On Friday, the Parole Board was facing growing anger at the decision to release Worboys, and for the failure to inform all of his victims before the announcement was made. |
| Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Commons home affairs select committee, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, called for the Parole Board to publish the reasons for the release of Worboys. | |
| Nick Hardwick, who chairs the board, has been called to explain its decisions to the Commons justice committee. | |
| Bob Neill, who chairs the committee, said: “In my view it is ridiculous that the current rules prevent the Board making public the reasons for their decisions.” | Bob Neill, who chairs the committee, said: “In my view it is ridiculous that the current rules prevent the Board making public the reasons for their decisions.” |
| Hardwick defended the decision, saying the law prevented any publication of the three-person panel’s decision-making process. However, he said the case highlighted the need for greater transparency and that he had “radical plans” to change the rules. | Hardwick defended the decision, saying the law prevented any publication of the three-person panel’s decision-making process. However, he said the case highlighted the need for greater transparency and that he had “radical plans” to change the rules. |
| On behalf of the victims, Scorer said the question of whether Worboys had admitted his crimes was key. “If he still denies his crimes, then he clearly poses a continuing risk to women,” said Scorer. “If he now admits that he deliberately and systematically drugged and raped women, then the police need to look at whether there are any crimes that he was not convicted of and seek justice for those victims.” | On behalf of the victims, Scorer said the question of whether Worboys had admitted his crimes was key. “If he still denies his crimes, then he clearly poses a continuing risk to women,” said Scorer. “If he now admits that he deliberately and systematically drugged and raped women, then the police need to look at whether there are any crimes that he was not convicted of and seek justice for those victims.” |
| Scorer said that when he visited Worboys in jail in 2013 he was “clearly a very manipulative and dangerous individual” and that he was “concerned [Worboys] may have fooled the board into believing he is no longer a threat”. | Scorer said that when he visited Worboys in jail in 2013 he was “clearly a very manipulative and dangerous individual” and that he was “concerned [Worboys] may have fooled the board into believing he is no longer a threat”. |
| The Metropolitan police said there was no current investigation into further allegations against Worboys, but Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions at the time of the conviction and now a member of the shadow cabinet, urged any more alleged victims to come forward. | The Metropolitan police said there was no current investigation into further allegations against Worboys, but Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions at the time of the conviction and now a member of the shadow cabinet, urged any more alleged victims to come forward. |
| Speaking to reporters outside his home in north London, he said: “It is very important that if there are any allegations that anybody thinks have not been looked into sufficiently, that they go to the police.” | |
| Nazir Afzal, a former senior prosecutor, said: “We know that after his conviction, dozens and dozens of other allegations were made. I’m pretty sure we should reinvestigate those. If there is enough evidence he should be charged.” | Nazir Afzal, a former senior prosecutor, said: “We know that after his conviction, dozens and dozens of other allegations were made. I’m pretty sure we should reinvestigate those. If there is enough evidence he should be charged.” |
| The human rights organisation Liberty, which has intervened in the case of two of Worboys’ victims in a continuing supreme court case about the police’s handling of the investigation, said Theresa May “has serious questions to answer” about her role. When she was home secretary she backed Scotland Yard’s case that it should not be held liable under the Human Rights Act for the failings of botched investigation. | |
| “It has been three years since the high court ruled victims of sexual violence have a right to have their allegations investigated,” said Martha Spurrier, director of Liberty. “Shamefully – and thanks only to Theresa May’s intervention – the Met responded by using taxpayers’ money to drag these two women all the way to the supreme court, arguing police shouldn’t be liable for even the most serious investigative failings that let sexual predators like John Worboys strike again and again.” | “It has been three years since the high court ruled victims of sexual violence have a right to have their allegations investigated,” said Martha Spurrier, director of Liberty. “Shamefully – and thanks only to Theresa May’s intervention – the Met responded by using taxpayers’ money to drag these two women all the way to the supreme court, arguing police shouldn’t be liable for even the most serious investigative failings that let sexual predators like John Worboys strike again and again.” |
| The Parole Board is able to assess the continued risk posed by prisoners based on psychiatrist and prison guard reports at Parole Board hearings that take place around once a year for each offender. Some of the hearings are oral, some of them written. | The Parole Board is able to assess the continued risk posed by prisoners based on psychiatrist and prison guard reports at Parole Board hearings that take place around once a year for each offender. Some of the hearings are oral, some of them written. |
| In November, a three-person panel of the Parole Board directed the release of Worboys, following an oral hearing. He will be released back into society under strict monitoring on a licence period of at least 10 years. | In November, a three-person panel of the Parole Board directed the release of Worboys, following an oral hearing. He will be released back into society under strict monitoring on a licence period of at least 10 years. |
| Parole Board hearings are held in private and reasons for release are not made public, although a consultation is to be launched on how the body shares its decision-making with the public. | Parole Board hearings are held in private and reasons for release are not made public, although a consultation is to be launched on how the body shares its decision-making with the public. |
| The Parole Board is an independent body and its recommendation for Worboys’ release cannot be overturned by the Ministry of Justice. | The Parole Board is an independent body and its recommendation for Worboys’ release cannot be overturned by the Ministry of Justice. |
| There are examples of Parole Board decisions being challenged by judicial review in the courts, but only when the prisoner has been denied release. | There are examples of Parole Board decisions being challenged by judicial review in the courts, but only when the prisoner has been denied release. |
| Read a fuller explainer on John Worboys | Read a fuller explainer on John Worboys |
| Cooper said: “There are many serious questions why this dangerous man has been given parole after serving such a short sentence for his attacks against women. Given the seriousness of this case, the Parole Board should publish their reasons immediately so both the decision and the process can be scrutinised before this man is released.” | Cooper said: “There are many serious questions why this dangerous man has been given parole after serving such a short sentence for his attacks against women. Given the seriousness of this case, the Parole Board should publish their reasons immediately so both the decision and the process can be scrutinised before this man is released.” |
| Hardwick said the case highlighted the need for greater transparency in the Parole Board’s decision-making. “One of the frustrations of my role is that we are specifically forbidden by the Parole Board rules from disclosing the details of why we made a decision. I have set out, prior to this case, some radical plans for changing that.” | Hardwick said the case highlighted the need for greater transparency in the Parole Board’s decision-making. “One of the frustrations of my role is that we are specifically forbidden by the Parole Board rules from disclosing the details of why we made a decision. I have set out, prior to this case, some radical plans for changing that.” |
| He said: “I agree that if justice is to be done it needs to be seen to be done, the Parole Board is much too closed a process. I want to open it up and I would welcome the backing of MPs to do that.” | He said: “I agree that if justice is to be done it needs to be seen to be done, the Parole Board is much too closed a process. I want to open it up and I would welcome the backing of MPs to do that.” |
| On the decision itself he said: “The Parole Board is not having a second go at judging Warboys’ offence. What it was doing was making a decision about his risk going forward; and a very experienced panel who did that would have considered a huge dossier of evidence and witnesses to come to their decision. | On the decision itself he said: “The Parole Board is not having a second go at judging Warboys’ offence. What it was doing was making a decision about his risk going forward; and a very experienced panel who did that would have considered a huge dossier of evidence and witnesses to come to their decision. |
| “It goes with the territory that we have to make very unpopular decisions. The offender has to demonstrate to us that they are safe to be released; for a prisoner like Worboys, who had an indeterminate sentence for public protection, that’s a hard thing to do.” | |
| Hardwick apologised unreservedly that two of Worboys’ victims had not been informed of the decision, but pointed out that it was the role of the Probation Service’s victim contact team to inform victims. | Hardwick apologised unreservedly that two of Worboys’ victims had not been informed of the decision, but pointed out that it was the role of the Probation Service’s victim contact team to inform victims. |
| Later the Department of Justice said some of Worboys’ victims chose not to be updated. | |
| Stella Creasy, a Labour MP, led a cross-party group of almost 60 MPs demanding that David Lidington, the justice secretary, launch an investigation into whether Worboys’ victims were allowed to make representations as part of the parole process. | Stella Creasy, a Labour MP, led a cross-party group of almost 60 MPs demanding that David Lidington, the justice secretary, launch an investigation into whether Worboys’ victims were allowed to make representations as part of the parole process. |
| Khan added: “Too often victims are at best treated as an afterthought, or ignored altogether and this seems to have happened again in this case. This must stop and the government needs to urgently investigate why the victims’ code processes failed.” | Khan added: “Too often victims are at best treated as an afterthought, or ignored altogether and this seems to have happened again in this case. This must stop and the government needs to urgently investigate why the victims’ code processes failed.” |