The Supreme Court has backed two victims of black cab rapist John Worboys, pictured
The Supreme Court has backed victims of ‘black cab rapist’ John Worboys who said police failed to properly investigate their claims against him.
Worboys is believed to have carried out more than 100 rapes and sexual assaults using alcohol and drugs to stupefy his victims before he was jailed for life in 2009.
Two of his victims sued the police, saying their failure to properly investigate their claims was a breach of their human rights.
The Supreme Court today found against the police in a ruling which could have huge implications for forces around the country.
The women were previously awarded £22,250 and £19,000 respectively after the High Court found that the Met Police were liable for failures in its investigation.
When the Court of Appeal backed the ruling, police took the case to the Supreme Court, insisting that imposing a duty of care on officers over investigations will hamper operations.
Judges at Britain’s highest court today threw out the police case, potentially leading to further cases against forces around the UK.
Judges in the Supreme Court have rejected an appeal by the police against a previous ruling
One of the women in today’s case, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire this morning that she was treated like ‘a drunk’ after she was drugged and attacked by Worboys.
She said Worboys gave her an orange liquor when he gave her a lift home. She then woke up in hospital and realised she had been raped.
But when she went to police, she said she was told she was ‘not believable’ because she didn’t cry or shout during her interview. She offered to show police ‘hand-print’ bruises where Worboys had held her down, but nobody got in contact with her to photograph them.
The woman said she was left doubting her own sanity because of officers’ refusal to believe her.
Scotland Yard has accepted mistakes were made in the investigation and have insisted the court case was pursued to establish legal principles.
The Met said the women, who bravery they praised, would have kept their damage payouts whatever the court had decided.
One of the women in the case, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire that police told her she was ‘not believable’
Speaking after today’s decision, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Craig Mackey said the force fully accepts the court’s decision.
He added: ‘We have always accepted that serious mistakes were made in this investigation and it was only the courage of the victims coming forward, including these two claimants, that enabled us to finally convict Worboys.
‘We know we should have done more in the initial investigation and today, as we did following his conviction, I unreservedly apologise to the victims we failed.
‘The MPS appealed, and this was supported by the Government, because police forces needed absolute clarity on the boundaries of police responsibility and liability for their investigations.
‘We have always been clear that the appeal to the Supreme Court was not based on factual differences between us and the victims, but on the appropriate interpretation of European human rights law.’
The two women in the case have also been given the go-ahead to challenge a Parole Board decision to release Worboys. The 60-year-old will remain in prison pending a full High Court hearing on March 13.