Decision to free black cab rapist Worboys overturned
New post
Decision to free black cab rapist Worboys overturned
Image:John Worboys carried out the attacks between 2002 and 2008
By Sunita Patel-Carstairs, News Reporter
Victims of black cab rapist John Worboys have succeeded in forcing the Parole Board to rethink its decision to free him from jail.
Lawyers for two women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, argued the panel's decision to approve the 60-year-old's release was "irrational" and should be overturned.
Three High Court judges upheld the legal challenge on Wednesday and ordered the Parole Board to reconsider its decision.
It means Worboys - known as the black cab rapist after attacking victims in his hackney carriage - will remain in prison pending the fresh review.
Judges said the panel "should have undertaken further inquiry into the circumstances of his offending" and examined how "the limited way... he has described his offending may undermine his overall credibility and reliability".
They ordered the case be "remitted to the Parole Board for fresh determination before a differently constituted panel".
Video:Parole chair in January 2018: Women 'were failed'
Worboys was jailed indefinitely in 2009 with a minimum term of eight years after being found guilty of 19 offences, including rape, sexual assault and drugging, committed against 12 victims.
Police believe he committed crimes against 105 women between 2002 and 2008, when he was caught.
The CPS decided not to overload the indictment against Worboys by prosecuting him for every attack.
Dozens of women were told the prosecution would be more powerful if the court heard only the strongest cases.
One of the victims who took the case to the High Court said after the judgment: "It is the whole system that has failed. I feel like I have been let down at every step.
"As victims we should have been supported and not having to fight every step of the way in court."
She added that she was confident the Parole Board will now make the right decision on Worboys.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who brought the challenge with the victims via a judicial review, said the ruling would "give some reassurance" to Worboys' victims "and to all Londoners".
Law firm Slater and Gordon represented 11 of Worboys' victims.
Video:Worboys victims say police did not believe their accounts
Kim Harrison, a lawyer with the firm, said: "We have said all along that Worboys is a manipulative and calculating individual who conned the Parole Board into granting his release.
"Our clients, who have been terrified that he will track them down after his release, can now sleep easy in their beds safe in the knowledge that this serial sex offender will be kept in jail where he belongs."
As the court announced its decision, Nick Hardwick quit as chairman of the Parole Board, saying he was "sorry for the mistakes that were made in this case", but asserted: "I had no role in the decision of the panel in this case."
He added that both he and the panel were wrong to believe that only crimes for which Worboys had been convicted could be taken into consideration.
The Parole Board said its "members make incredibly difficult and complex decisions every day that can have a devastating impact on victims and the case of John Worboys is no different".
"The courts have decided we must go back and look at this case again in light of additional information that wasn't before the original panel and we will do just that," it added.
Image:Nick Hardwick has resigned as chairman of the Parole Board
Justice Secretary David Gauke said he stood by his decision not to challenge the Parole Board because the "victims succeeded in a different argument".
He said: "I took expert legal advice from leading counsel on whether I should bring a challenge.
"The bar for judicial review is set high. I considered whether the decision was legally rational - in other words, a decision which no reasonable Parole Board could have made.
"The advice I received was that such an argument was highly unlikely to succeed. And, indeed, this argument did not succeed."
How to cook Bacon Explosion This concoction and Internet sensation came to The Times from Jason Day and Aaron Chronister, who created it shortly before Christmas one year in Roeland Park, Kan. They modestly call it “the BBQ Sausage Recipe of all Recipes.” It contains at least 5,000 calories and 500 grams of fat, but you don’t have to eat it all at once. It is not for vegetarians, ascetics or the faint of heart — instead, consider it a delicious challenge to your abilities at the grill. RECIPES FOR BACON 2 pounds thick-cut sliced bacon 1 ½ pounds Italian sausage, casings removed 3 tablespoons barbecue rub ¾ cup barbecue sauce HOW TO COOK BACON STEP 1 Using 10 slices of bacon, weave a square lattice like that on top of a pie: first, place 5 bacon slices side by side on a large sheet of aluminum foil, parallel to one another, sides touching. Place another strip of bacon on one end, perpendicular to the other strips. Fold first, third and fifth bacon strips...
Davido’s “Blow My Mind” Breaks Record, Hit 1 Million Views In 11 Hours! DMW Boss, Davido has set a new record after his new visual “Blow my Mind” featuring Chris Brown hit 1 million views in 11 hours on Youtube “Blow My Mind” which was released last week Friday has been trending heavily among music fans since it dropped, contributing to the excitement and anticipation towards the release of the video. It would be the first time in the history of Nigerian entertainment, not just music alone that any content dropped by a Nigerian who plies his/her trade within the industry on YouTube would amass 1 million views within half-a-day. The previous biggest record is 1 million views in 24 hours which has been achieved by a few Nigerian music artiste. By skunty empire
Suez Canal Is Blocked by Container Ship Causing Huge Traffic Jam Authorities hope to dislodge the ship within hours as a backlog of vessels builds up on one of the world’s busiest waterways Evergreen’s Ever Given container ship stuck sideways in the Suez Canal, a vital trade route for oil and manufactured goods between Asia and Europe. Egyptian authorities worked to dislodge a giant container ship that remained stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking all traffic on one of the world’s busiest shipping arteries. Authorities hope to dislodge the ship within hours, according to an Egyptian official, as a flotilla of ships waited to resume voyages in both directions. Even if the ship is dislodged quickly, many idled vessels could still be delayed for days, threatening a new pressure point in a global supply chain already under intense strain. The Ever Given, a 400-meter (1,312 foot) container ship, Tuesday became stuck in the canal sideways, with its bow wedged in one bank and its ster...
Dozens of mourners 'killed by Boko Haram' at a funeral in north Nigeria Share this with Facebook Share this with WhatsApp Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share Image copyright AFP Image caption AFP journalists saw charred items and smouldering ashes after the attack At least 65 people have lost their lives after suspected Boko Haram militants opened fire on a funeral in Nigeria's north-eastern state of Borno. Gunmen arrived on motorcycles and in vans at the village near the state capital, Maiduguri, on Saturday, eyewitnesses say. A number of mourners were reportedly killed straight away, while others died trying to chase off the attackers. There has been an increase in Islamist attacks across the region. Local government official Muhammed Bulama said he thought the latest attack was in revenge for the killing of 11 Boko Haram fighters by the villagers two weeks ago. Agence France Presse journalist...
Comments
Post a Comment
comments below