Black cab rapist John Worboys must STAY in prison after parole board u-turn following public outcry
The decision comes almost a year to the day after the parole board recommended his release despite outrage from victims
BLACK cab rapist John Worboys to be kept behind bars after a Parole Board review of his case.
The decision comes almost a year to the day after it recommended the 60-year-old's release – sparking outrage.
The board has told victims that a director has reviewed the serial sex attacker’s case and decided he should be held in jail.
A proposed move to open prison has also been rejected and Worboys now has 28 days to challenge the finding.
It comes as the Crown Prosecution Service was handed a file of evidence by cops relating to new allegations from 1997 to 2007, The BBC reports.
The claims include sexual assault and administering a substance with intent to commit a sexual offence.
Sources claim it could now be up to two years before the case comes up for review again.
Today’s revelation will further humiliate the Ministry of Justice given the chaos earlier this year when it emerged the attacker was due to go free after ten years in jail.
The release was eventually quashed in March by the High Court after a landmark legal challenge by his victims and The Sun, who fought for a judicial review.
Our victory led to Justice Secretary David Gauke ripping up Parole Board secrecy rules forever.
Judges also ordered the Parole Board to make a “fresh determination”.
The handling of the case sparked a Government review by Justice Secretary David Gauke and led to Parole Board chief Nick Hardwick quitting in disgrace.
It emerged a dossier of evidence passed to the panel by the Ministry of Justice did not include details of attacks that were not prosecuted.
And it omitted sentencing remarks that branded Worboys a “high continuing risk to women and a significant risk of reoffending”.
At the time Mr Hardwick said the hearing decision must have been “horrible” for the women the board was “confident” Worboys would not reoffend.
Police were investigating fresh reports by victims of Worboys who came forward during the judicial review.
Worboys was convicted of 19 offences including a rape, another of assault by penetration and a further 17 assault counts against 12 women in 2009.
MOST READ IN NEWS
He would pick up women late at night and pretend he had won large amounts of money before plying them with drugged champagne.
Worboys was jailed indefinitely - an indeterminate sentence for public protection - with a minimum term behind bars of eight years.
Detectives later said Worboys was the prime suspect in more than 100 attacks dating back as far as 2002.
a Parole Board spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board gave a negative decision in the parole review of John Worboys following an paper hearing in October 2018.
"Under current legislation Mr Worboys will be eligible for a further review within two years.
"The date of the next review will be set by the Ministry of Justice."