Carrie Johnson, formerly Symonds, was 19 when the cab driver targeted her
Black cab rapist John Worboys will remain in prison after being refused parole, one of his victims has announced. The Parole Board did not direct his release or recommend a move to open conditions, Carrie Johnson said.
Serial sex attacker Worboys lured women into his cab late at night, falsely pretending to have won money and offering them a ‘celebratory drink’ which was actually drugged. His hearing was held behind closed doors.
Mrs Johnson, the wife of former prime minister Boris Johnson, was one of Worboys’ victims, having been targeted by the cab driver aged 19 in 2007. Mrs Johnson posted on X: “It has been a hugely anxious wait knowing that Worboys was up for parole again. The relief I feel knowing that he will remain behind bars is hard to put into words. Women and girls across Britain are safer as a result of this decision.”
Worboys was first jailed in 2009 for 19 sexual offences linked to attacks on 12 victims between October 2006 and February 2008 in London, and given an indefinite sentence for public protection with a minimum term of eight years.
In December 2017 a parole board panel decided he was ready for release, sparking a legal challenge by two of his victims that successfully got the decision overturned. Amid outrage over the battle, rules were then changed to allow some parole hearings to be held in public and permit better scrutiny of the processes used.
The publicity around the case led further victims to come forward, and Worboys was charged with more crimes dating between 2000 and 2008, which he admitted. In 2019 he was given two life sentences with a minimum term of six years.
A new ITV limited series has been created based on Worboy’s case, Believe Me, featuring Miriam Petche as Carrie Symonds (now Johnson). Episode 2 airs on ITV1 on Monday 11 May at 9pm. Episodes 3 and 4 will be available to watch on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday 17 and Monday 18 May, or alternatively all four episodes are available to stream now on ITVX.
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