Carrie Johnson says relief as Worboys denied parole again
carrie johnson said she felt relief after John Worboys was denied parole for a second time on Thursday and was not allowed to move to open conditions in prison. The Parole Board told victims it had ruled against both release and a transfer to lower-security conditions.
Johnson, who testified against Worboys after taking a drink she believed was spiked, said: “It has been a hugely anxious wait knowing that Worboys was up for parole again.” She added: “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 parole decision
Worboys, the black-cab rapist and prisoner, was convicted in 2009 after being found guilty of assaulting victims after drugging them with spiked drinks. He was found guilty of sex offences against 16 women, while police say he could have had more than 100 victims. Open conditions in prison would have allowed him to be held under minimal security and work in the community.
The decision follows his first battle over release in 2018, when the Parole Board decided he could be freed after serving nearly 10 years. That ruling was reversed after a legal challenge by his victims, and the board later decided he should remain in jail because of his sense of sexual entitlement.
Carrie Johnson and Sarah
Johnson previously campaigned to keep him behind bars in 2018, and Sarah, another victim identified anonymously in the campaign, said after Thursday’s ruling: “Thank goodness the right decision has been made and the Parole Board have recognised what a danger he is. We can all sleep lighter knowing he is still behind bars.”
The case has also left a long procedural trail. A probation report in August 2019 found Worboys was potentially just as dangerous now as at the point of the first sentence, four more victims came forward in 2019, and he was handed two life sentences with a minimum term of six years.
Next parole hearing
The board has not set a fixed date for his next hearing, and understands it could come in about one to two years. For victims who fought the earlier release decision, Thursday’s ruling means Worboys stays in prison rather than moving closer to open conditions.
