John Worboys was very nearly released – ITV’s Believe Me wants to make sure that never happens

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Some headlines are so shocking and unbelievable that they immediately grab your attention and stay with you forever. They’re the ones that are truly outrageous and hard to forget.

I remember exactly where I was when I saw the headline on January 4th, 2018: “‘Black-cab rapist’ John Worboys to be Freed From Jail.” It really hit me hard, and I wasn’t alone in feeling that way.

I remember reading it at the time and thinking, simply: what?

I was speechless. It felt so absurd, so unbelievably mean, that I must have been imagining things. Surely, no one would ever permit something like that to happen.

If the report is true, a man convicted of 19 crimes against 12 women – including rape, sexual assault, and drugging – could soon be released. This man is also suspected of harming over 100 more women while working as a London taxi driver, meaning he would be free to roam the streets again.

Surely not?

But no, a trip to Specsavers was not required. No sets needed adjusting.

After spending a decade in prison, including time served following a previous review of his case, a Parole Board approved his release. While the specific reasons weren’t shared, the decision strongly suggests the board determined he no longer poses a threat to women in the community.

I understand that Worboys would face very strict rules if he were ever released. He’d have to check in with his probation officer weekly, and, thankfully, he’d be forbidden from contacting or even going near any of the women he harmed. It’s a small comfort, but it’s important that those boundaries were in place.

But the fact remained: Worboys would walk among us.

Only a few weeks after that, a significant event happened, and as a result, Worboys is still in prison now.

In the ITV drama Believe Me, two characters – DSD (played by Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Sarah) and NBV (played by Aasiya Shah as Laila) – represented real women who bravely fought a legal battle against the Parole Board and successfully overturned its decision regarding their assailant. Their courage and determination led to a positive outcome.

Miriam Petche, who is now Carrie Johnson, publicly shared her experience as a victim of John Worboys, the serial rapist. Like other survivors, she chose to reveal her identity after his trial to support other women. She also used her connections in the media to advocate for a review of the Parole Board’s decision to release Worboys and contributed to fundraising for legal challenges.

Despite already being sentenced for some crimes, investigators worked hard to make sure all of Worboys’s alleged offenses were considered. His initial sentence felt inadequate given the full extent of his terrible actions. Furthermore, there was serious doubt about whether he had truly changed and was no longer a danger to the public.

After seeing Jeff Pope’s dramatization of the true crime, it’s hard to imagine anyone believing it would be safe to release someone like Worboys – whether that was in 2019, ten years from then, or at any point in the future.

I already knew he needed to stay in prison, but watching the series really drove that home. It powerfully shows the lasting trauma his crimes caused to Sarah, Laila, and Carrie, and details the important legal decision that kept him locked up.

The investigation also details how the Metropolitan Police were negligent and ineffective in stopping John Worboys. Their failure to apprehend him earlier allowed him to continue sexually assaulting women over a prolonged and terrifying period.

Had the Met done their job, countless women would never have crossed paths with Worboys.

Seeing the full extent of his disturbing crimes – presented with careful detail to acknowledge the horror without being exploitative, and recognizing that some victims may still be silent – it’s clear that releasing Worboys, a serial sex offender, would be an unacceptable risk to the public.

Watching the story unfold, based on thorough research and interviews with the women he hurt, makes the truth undeniable. Pope meticulously targeted vulnerable women – those leaving clubs or waiting alone – and coldly discarded their bodies before seeking out his next victim. He’d then either rest or immediately begin his search again. The pattern is clear and horrifying.

The evidence against Worboys is deeply disturbing – he carried a rape kit containing drugs, gloves, and other items, and he falsely claimed to be a victim himself. Given this history, and his initial denial of wrongdoing, it’s reasonable to ask whether releasing him from prison will ever be a safe decision.

Are women’s lives really worth that little?’

It’s easy to focus on what happened in the moment, but we need to remember the lasting damage Worboys caused. He didn’t just hurt those women physically; he deeply traumatized them, and that’s something they’ll carry for the rest of their lives. Watching the series, it really hit me how this impacted everything – their relationships, their self-worth, even their futures. It wasn’t a single moment of pain; it was like the ground opened up under them, and that instability didn’t disappear when they got out of his cab. It actually got worse over time, especially because of how badly the police failed them. It’s heartbreaking to see how much was stolen from their lives.

As a real cinema devotee, I’ve seen a lot of stories about trauma, but the impact Worboys had on his victims was truly devastating. For women like ‘Sarah’ and ‘Laila,’ he didn’t just cause pain – he completely shattered their sense of hope, to the point where they honestly couldn’t picture a life beyond the awful things he did to them. It was heartbreaking to learn about.

The question isn’t simply whether releasing him is safe, but whether it’s just and prioritizes the needs of the victims, not the criminals. The series ‘Believe Me’ highlights this crucial point very well.

The series is so compelling – even for those involved in the legal system, like parole board members and judges – that it clearly demonstrates the power of a skilled writer like Pope.

Believe Me powerfully remembers the women affected by this case and makes sure their experiences, and the horrific nature of Worboys’ crimes, are never overlooked. When true crime is handled responsibly, as it is here – with a focus on the victims, as director Pope consistently emphasized, and a deliberate choice not to explore Worboys’ motivations – it serves an important purpose: it honors the victims today while also demanding accountability from the institutions that failed them. As one of the women involved points out, the initial denials from the Metropolitan Police regarding the cases of ‘Sarah’ and ‘Laila’ were actually more damaging than the crimes themselves.

Just as importantly, it keeps public support and motivation strong in the pursuit of justice.

In 2019, Worboys received two more life sentences, with a minimum of six years, after confessing to attacking four additional women. Considering this, it appears highly improbable that he will ever be released from prison, and certainly not at this time.

Eight years ago, when the Parole Board first approved his release, many likely felt the same way. Now, as he faces another public parole hearing this June – where a panel will reconsider his suitability for release or a transfer to an open prison – there’s a real risk the same issues could arise again.

The idea of Angus Worboys being released from prison is deeply disturbing and infuriating. It’s a truly unsettling thought. However, the documentary Believe Me likely helped prevent that outcome, and there would be widespread public outrage if he were ever freed.

The second episode of Believe Me will be shown on ITV1 at 9pm on Monday, May 11th. Episodes three and four will air on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday, May 17th and Monday, May 18th. You can watch all four episodes now on ITVX.

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Authors

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor at TopMob, where she writes about TV dramas and comedies. Before that, she was a TV writer for Digital Spy and a content writer for Mumsnet. She has a degree and a postgraduate diploma in English Studies.

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2026-05-12 19:39