Violence against women is at a breaking point, and the justice system must change, according to Jeff Pope, the writer of a new ITV drama about the survivors of the so-called black-cab rapist John Worboys. Pope, who is also working on a BBC drama about the murder of Sarah Everard, stated that he wanted to tell these stories because something needs to happen and the police seem unwilling to change.
Believe Me: The Story of Worboys' Survivors
The drama, titled Believe Me, recounts the true story of how women attacked by Worboys were failed and doubted by the Metropolitan Police. Worboys was eventually jailed in 2019, aided by evidence from Carrie Symonds, who was drugged but escaped rape. Symonds, now married to Boris Johnson, is portrayed in the drama by actress Miriam Petche from the series Industry.
Pope highlighted a staggering statistic: for every 100 rapes and sexual assaults reported to the police, only three proceed to charges. He described this as utterly horrific and emphasized the urgency of addressing violence against women.
A Call for Change
Speaking about the broader issue, Pope said, “I think we’re at a bit of a breaking point. If you take this and the piece about Sarah, which is still a long way off, these are both huge moments, where this stuff is being done to women and nothing changes. Something needs to happen.” He stressed that men must not ignore the problem simply because it does not affect them directly, adding, “You’ve got to lance the boil. It’s astonishing how little understanding men have of women’s lives.”
Pope, known for true crime series and films such as Philomena and Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, clarified that he does not hold an anti-police agenda. However, he argued that the Metropolitan Police is not yet fit for its role in 2026 and needs to be more open and honest. “The Met say they’re bringing in a new initiative and ‘We’ve changed our procedures and this can’t ever happen again.’ They say that endlessly, but something more fundamental needs to happen. The starting point should be ‘We believe you.’”
Pope traced the problem back to Tony Blair’s premiership, when police became too preoccupied with figures. During research for the programme by his company Etta Pictures, he and executive producer Saurabh Kakkar were struck by how much thought, care, and effort goes into declaring sexual assaults as non-crimes.
Treatment of Survivors
Pope expressed anger at how the women were treated by police, including insinuations about their characters, such as asking if they were the kind of woman who would wear red nail varnish, or making them retell their stories multiple times. He admitted he had not realized how much women have to consider things that a man would not even think about, like wearing earbuds while jogging. He hopes Believe Me will change men’s perspectives as well as how sexual assault cases are handled.
Acknowledging that some might question why a man wrote the drama, Pope said, “What happened to them after that night, how they were treated… it’s not about gender. Yes I’m a man, but I’m a writer saying this is something that needs to be addressed.”
Behind the Scenes
Kakkar noted that Etta and ITV Studios worked closely with Worboys survivors to accurately tell their stories, with some visiting the film set. All survivors, including Symonds, have seen Believe Me. Due to the sensitive subject matter, the production had numerous wellbeing coordinators on set to create an empathetic environment, in addition to intimacy coordinators.
Worboys is due for a parole review this year regarding additional assaults not covered by the drama. Symonds stated, “I hope Believe Me serves as a wake-up call to the police, the CPS, and the Parole Board. Far too often, women and girls are failed by the very institutions meant to protect them. The treatment of the victims in this case was truly shameful. Reform matters, but what we urgently need above all is a profound shift in culture.”
