Lead

John Worboys, the man convicted of drugging and assaulting women he picked up in his black cab, has been denied parole for the second time, according to multiple reports. The Parole Board informed victims on Thursday that it had decided against releasing Worboys or moving him to open prison conditions, a step that would have allowed him limited freedom within a lower-security setting.

Carrie Johnson, the wife of former prime minister Boris Johnson and one of Worboys's victims, has said she believes the true number of his victims could be "up to 1,000, if not more." Her estimate, reported by The Guardian, is based on the long span of his known crimes and his near-nightly access to potential victims while working as a cab driver.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on this development has primarily come from The Guardian, which carried two separate articles on the story. Both pieces confirm the Parole Board's decision, but they approach the news from different angles. The first focuses on the confirmation of the parole denial and the relief expressed by victims, while the second spotlights Johnson's estimate of the potential scale of Worboys's offending and her call for other potential victims to come forward.

Neither report suggests any dispute over the core facts: Worboys remains in prison, his parole has been refused, and his next hearing is unlikely for at least a year. The differences lie in emphasis and in the additional context each provides about his criminal history and the ongoing fallout.

Key Claims

  • Parole denied: According to both Guardian reports, the Parole Board has refused to release Worboys or to move him to open conditions. The board's assessment, as reported, is that he "continues to represent a high risk of committing further serious sexual offences against women."
  • Victim count: Worboys was convicted in 2009 of sexual offences against 16 women, but police have suggested his true number of victims could exceed 100, as reported by The Guardian. Johnson's estimate of 1,000 or more is her personal calculation, based on the duration of his offending and his regular access to potential victims.
  • Timeline of crimes: Johnson stated on ITV's Good Morning Britain that Worboys's crimes spanned from 2000 to 2009, when he was convicted. Reporting notes he was first convicted in 2009 of 19 sexual offences linked to attacks on 12 women between October 2006 and February 2008. In 2019, he was sentenced to life with a minimum term of six years after admitting further crimes committed between 2000 and 2008.
  • Next parole hearing: The Guardian understands there is no fixed date for Worboys's next parole hearing, but it could take place in about one to two years, pending input from the Ministry of Justice and Worboys's completion of required work.
  • Johnson's personal experience: Johnson encountered Worboys in 2007 when she was a 19-year-old student. She has said she was drugged by him, though she did not report it at the time.

Perspectives

Carrie Johnson and other victims have expressed relief at the Parole Board's decision. An anonymous victim known as Sarah told The Guardian: "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." Johnson described the waiting period as "hugely anxious" and said the relief was "hard to put into words," adding, "Women and girls across Britain are safer as a result of this decision."

The Parole Board's reasoning, as reported, centres on the continued risk Worboys poses. The decision to deny parole and open conditions reflects an assessment that he remains a threat, though the board has not made public its full reasoning.

Johnson also used the coverage to urge other potential victims to come forward. She suggested that some women may not have realised they were drugged, and that seeing the recent ITV dramatisation of the case might prompt them to seek help. "I would urge them to come forward if they can," she said.

Worboys, now 68, was first given an indeterminate sentence for public protection with a minimum term of eight years in 2009. In 2019, after more victims came forward, he was resentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of six years. His latest parole refusal means he will remain in prison, with his next chance for release coming no sooner than a year away.