A victim of black cab rapist John Worboys has expressed outrage over the police's handling of her recent attempt to report being attacked by him. Sarah, whose real name has been changed to protect her anonymity, says Worboys never faced justice for his assault on her 22 years ago and that she was not believed by the police at the time.
Her story is featured in the ITV true crime drama Believe Me, which focuses on the survivors of Worboys and their struggle to hold the police and parole board accountable for systemic failures. Following increased pressure from several individuals, including Boris Johnson's wife Carrie Johnson, to improve support for victims, the Metropolitan Police established a dedicated point of contact under the code name Operation Safford for survivors to report their claims.
However, Sarah told Metro that an operator had 'no idea what I was talking about' after she called 101, mistakenly thinking she was referring to Staffordshire police station. She also stated that the entire process 're-triggered' her PTSD. After finally being connected to someone, an officer reportedly told her: 'I am on annual leave for a week, somebody else will look at it.'
Background on John Worboys
Worboys was jailed in 2009 for 19 offences linked to attacks on 12 women between October 2006 and February 2008. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of six years in 2019 after additional victims came forward. The rapist would attack women after drugging them in his taxi by offering spiked drinks.
In the drama, Aimée-Ffion Edwards portrays Sarah, who was one of two women who won compensation from the Met Police in 2014 after it was found that their human rights had been breached by 'inhuman or degrading treatment' during the investigation. The series reveals that Worboys was never charged for raping Sarah, as the Crown Prosecution Service decided to proceed with a small number of cases despite receiving 105 complaints.
Sarah's Recent Experience
Last week, the real-life Sarah decided to use the helpline to report her rape in the hope that it might encourage others to come forward. Speaking to Metro, she said she was passed around to four different police stations, including her local station, and nobody 'had any clue about Operation Safford'.
'I have spent the last three days considering whether I can pursue a claim against Worboys,' she said. 'I have really struggled with this mentally but now finally after all these years of being run and passed around by the police I decided to make a report. After the way the police treated me the last time, I was honestly sick with anxiety and I thought that I just can't do this, I can't go through with this. Finally, I was put through to somebody who says, "sorry, but I'm on holiday for the next week, somebody else will look into it for you." Nothing has changed. Nobody wants to know. Nobody knows what's happening. I am absolutely furious. I want them to explain this to the public.'
Response from the Metropolitan Police
A Met spokesperson told Metro that they have updated their guidance to make it easier for victims to come forward. They said: 'The process for victims to report any offence or crime should be straightforward and supportive, and we are sorry that on this occasion this may not have been the experience for those who initially contacted us. Reporting any offence, particularly one related to sexual violence, is an incredibly brave thing to do, and we apologise for the distress caused. We have updated our guidance to make it easier for victims or individuals who may have information about Worboys to come forward. They can contact us by calling 101, requesting to be put through to the Metropolitan Police and providing the reference 4648/23MAY. Alternatively, information can be provided by emailing CIT@met.police.uk.'
