Worboys victims left in dark over black cab rapist's release conditions
It is "inexcusable" all victims have not been asked to make representations about Worboys' restrictions, a lawyer tells Sky News.
Wednesday 10 January 2018 19:53, UK
Terrified victims of black cab rapist John Worboys say they still have not been consulted over the conditions of his release from prison, in spite of assurances from the Justice Secretary.
Worboys will be freed in two weeks' time with 14 secret restrictions on his freedom already agreed by the Parole Board panel which approved his release.
The Ministry of Justice has said the rapist's victims will have their say, but one victim told Sky News she was still waiting to be told what those restrictions were and whether she could influence them.
Solicitors for 11 victims have written to the Probation Service demanding that Worboys is banned from Greater London, where most of them live, and is prohibited from contacting them "under any circumstances".
Last week, a Ministry of Justice letter informing the victims of Worboys' imminent release said he could not approach or contact them "without prior approval of the supervising officer".
Their solicitor Richard Scorer, of Slater and Gordon, said: "It is unbelievable that Worboys' victims have not been consulted on their attacker’s licence conditions when they are living in fear of his release.
"Considering the shambles of this sorry episode so far it is inexcusable that all victims have not been asked to make representations about his restrictions.
"Our clients already felt betrayed by the way they have been treated by the criminal justice system; they now feel like they are being treated with the utmost contempt.
"This is an absolute disgrace and we demand that all victims – those involved in the criminal trial and those who were not – are consulted before Worboys' licence conditions are finalised."
The Ministry of Justice insisted that any victim who signed up to the Victim Contact Scheme would be consulted before the 14 conditions were finalised.
One victim said: "I just spoke to my victim liaison officer. She said they are meeting to discuss his conditions tomorrow.
"I've told her I want an exclusion zone - Greater London. She said she would 'feed that in'.
"If I hadn't have called today no one would have told me I could have fed in and that the meeting to discuss it was tomorrow."