John Worboys’ victims could have to pay HIM damages if crowd-funded bid to keep him caged fails
The serial sex attacker, 60, is set to be released on Wednesday after a sentence of less than nine years for drugging and raping 12 women passengers
SERIAL black cab rapist John Worboys could be awarded DAMAGES if a last-ditch judicial review against him fails in the courts.
A solicitor working for two of the sex attacker’s victims told the Sun she hoped to the launch a legal challenge to his upcoming release this Wednesday.
Harriet Wistrich said that a separate move would likely be made at the same time to keep Worboys behind bars while the review is heard.
But the lawyer for the firm Birnberg Peirce said she may have to raise a crowd-funding target from £50,000 to £100,000 – because of the risk Worboys could claim damages if the victims lose their challenge.
She said: “If we hold back his release, if we fail he may have a claim for damages. The fact is that under the law his release would have been held back.”
The staggering comments will spark fresh uproar over the Government’s handling of a case that has incensed the nation.
It came as Treasury Secretary and former Justice Secretary Liz Truss said the Government had to get “tougher” in areas like rape and sexual violence. And she said: “In our hearts we just don’t him to be released at all.”
Separately, a former top cop has welcomed the new search for bombshell evidence that could keep Worboys behind bars.
Ex Met DCI Colin Sutton, who jailed Milly Dowler killer Levi Bellfield and prolific sex attacker Delroy Grant said the cops had to keep up the efforts.
Bosses at Scotland Yard have released an internal memo asking any officer with information on the Worboys case to tell a specialist sexual offences unit.
Legally the Met will struggled to use evidence from the women who came forward before his trial in 2009, and it’s understood that they will focus on the 19 women who said they had been attacked AFTER his conviction.
The cabbie, 60 is set to be released within days after serving less than nine years for drugging and raping his female passengers. Justice Secretary David Gauke sparked uproar on Friday by dumping moves for the Government to launch a judicial review of its own.
DCI Sutton said: “It’s not a fools errand by any means.
“It’s entirely possible that the evidence is there and you’ll have to have complainants who want to go ahead. The paperwork will be there too and there’s a good chance one or a number of the case could be put up the standard to prosecute.
“If you have 19 cases to pick from, you may end up with a handful or half a dozen or so that could be presented to the CPS.
“Then the decision becomes a political one as to whether they go ahead with in. I certainly think it’s worthwhile doing and I’m encourage the Met have taken this view despite what the CPS are saying.”
DCI Sutton added: “The CPS saying they will not prosecute will be a sticking point but the public opinion is going to be such that if there was reasonable new evidence and a sustainable case then they would have to reconsider.
“It’s a matter of getting the evidence. If the victims were examined and samples were taken, they should still be in existence.
“What you have also got now is his conviction which can be used as a bad character evidence.
“If his MO is the same in the newer cases as those he was convicted it would be admissible evidence.”
Two of Worboys’ victims are in the process of launching a judicial review into the decision to set him free.
One victim said: “I am genuinely terrified he is going to come after me. He knows where so many of his victims live.
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“Why should we think he won’t? “Two of his victims hope to judicially review the Parole Board decision. I am not one of those girls but I want to do everything I possibly can to support them.
“I strongly believe Worboys poses a real danger to us all. It could so easily be your mother, your wife, your sister, your daughter, your friend.”