Advertisement

Tories tell Met Police: Think again about new charges for black cab rapist John Worboys

Predator: John Worboys in handcuffs for court in 2008
Predator: John Worboys in handcuffs for court in 2008

Tory politicians today urged police to look again at outstanding allegations against black cab rapist John Worboys before he is released from prison.

London Assembly member Shaun Bailey, a former adviser to David Cameron, warned that the police would lose public confidence unless they revisited the claims.

He was backed by MP Zac Goldsmith, who said the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to take only 23 out of 93 allegations to court had been a “misjudgement”.

Meanwhile it emerged that Worboys has been moved to a prison in the capital where most of his attacks on women took place. The Sun reported he was secretly driven to Belmarsh prison in Thamesmead from HMP Wakefield over the weekend ahead of his impending release on parole.

John Worboys: The sex offender is to be freed from jail (PA)
John Worboys: The sex offender is to be freed from jail (PA)

Victims have called for Worboys, who was jailed in 2009 for 19 offences against 12 victims, including rape and sexual assault, to be banned from London. Boris Johnson, Sadiq Khan and Mr Goldsmith have urged the Parole Board to set the tightest conditions for his release to keep him from the capital. Police believe he had more than 100 victims.

Worboys, who preyed on women while working as a cab driver, will be held at Belmarsh before being found temporary accommodation at a probation hostel.

In a letter to Met Commissioner Cressida Dick, Mr Bailey demanded the police look again at some of the allegations against Worboys that were not brought to trial.

It is understood the CPS felt they had enough evidence on the first 23 charges to put the rapist away for the maximum possible sentence. He was given an indeterminate sentence for public protection, but is eligible for release having served just nine years.

Mr Bailey said: “It is frankly staggering that such a prolific serial rapist could be released from prison after less than a decade in prison. As it stands, the Met is refusing to re-examine dozens of outstanding allegations from victims who never had their day in court. I am calling on the Commissioner to make public the rationale for only taking 23 of the original 93 allegations forward.

“The Met is at risk of seriously undermining public confidence unless it fully explores every possible avenue to keep this monster behind bars.”

Scotland Yard has ruled out reconsidering the original allegations, suggesting that under legal rules it needed fresh evidence to look again at the case. A spokesman for the CPS added: “Our decision-making was on the basis of all available evidence and there are no plans to review it.”