John Worboys police failed victims of black cab rapist, Supreme Court rules

May 29, 2023

TWO victims of black cab rapist John Worboys were failed by Scotland Yard whose investigation into the serial sex attacker was flawed, the Supreme Court has ruled.

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A challenge to overturn a ruling that the Metropolitan Police had failed to properly investigate claims Worboys sexually assaulted two women has been thrown out by the Supreme Court.

Both of the women, who reported the assaults in 2003 and 2007, were awared more than £40,000 in damages after a judge ruled their human rights had been breached.

A Scotland Yard appeal against the ruling has today been dismissed by the Supreme Court, a decision that could pace the way for compensation claims over failed crime probes.

Between 2002 and 2008, Worboys, who was jailed for life in 2009, carried out more than 100 rapes and sexual assaults using alcohol and drugs to stupefy his victims.

Worboys, now 60, used drugs and alcohol to carry out rapes and sexual assaults against women across London.

He was jailed with a minimum of eight years in 2009 for assaults on 12 women, but is believed to have attacked more than 100 women.

The Parole Board sparked outrage last month when it was announced Worboys was due to be released, having spent less than ten years behind bars.

Two of his victims reported assaults in 2003 and 2007, but police failed to believe them.

The two women brought a case under Article 3 of the Human Rights Act, the right not to suffer inhuman or degrading treatment.

They argued there had been a failure to conduct effective investigations into Worboys' crimes.

In 2014, the High Court ruled that the women's human rights had been breached by the Met.

The court said that the women, known as DSD and NBV, should receive £22,250 and £19,000.

The force had a duty to investigate serious violence against women and could be held accountable if they failed to uphold it, judges found.

Police challenged the ruling, but it was upheld by the Court of Appeal, so the appeal was taken to the Supreme Court last year.

Theresa May, in her former role as Home Secretary, had intervened in support of the police's application.

Lawyers for the Met argued that imposing a duty of care on officers, in relation to their investigations, would have an adverse impact.

The case was pursued to establish legal principles for the future, with the women keeping their damages whatever happens, the force said.

But a panel of five justices at the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the appeal today.

Cheers were heard in court as the decision was announced.

Handing down judgment, Lord Kerr said: "Between 2003 and 2008, John Worboys, the driver of a black taxi cab in London, committed serious sexual offences against many women.

"The respondents to this appeal were two of his victims and both reported their assaults to the police.

"The Supreme Court unanimously dismisses the Commissioner's appeal."