London cabbie rapist John Worboys is to be released from prison.
The former stripper and adult film star was jailed indefinitely in 2009, with a minimum term of eight years for drugging and sexually assaulting women passengers.
He was found guilty of assaulting 12 women during an 18-month reign of terror in the capital, but police said more women had come forward, and that his alleged victims numbered more than 100.
At his sentencing Worboys was told he would not be released until parole officials were convinced he did not pose a threat to women.
(Women’s Equality UK/Twitter)
In a statement, the Parole Board said: “We can confirm that a three member panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Mr John Worboys, following an oral hearing.
“The arrangements for Mr Worboys’ release will be managed by the Ministry of Justice.”
Many of his victims were young women who had been drinking in trendy nightspots in the West End and Chelsea.
The cabbie offered them Champagne spiked with powerful sedatives to celebrate a fictional lottery win, backed up with a carrier bag stuffed full of cash.
The drugs left the women insensible and unable to protect themselves as he pounced on them in the back of the vehicle.
The black cab of London rapist John Worboys (Metropolitan Police/PA)
According to a Government website, an indeterminate sentence has no fixed length and is given if a court thinks an offender is a danger to the public.
Yvonne Traynor, chief executive of Rape Crisis South London, described the time Worboys spent in prison as “woefully short”.
She said: “It feels far too soon for this dangerous and manipulative perpetrator to be released into the public having served this woefully short time in prison.
“He may be free to live amongst us but the women he raped will never be totally free from his despicable actions.”
Fay Maxted, chief executive of The Survivors Trust, called Worboys’s crimes “calculated” and “deliberate”.
She said: “Naturally the victims are going to feel, I think cheated that he is being released … you think you’re going to be safe when you’re in a taxi, so it will be very frightening for his victims to know that he is being released.”
Karen Ingala Smith, chief executive of women’s sexual and domestic violence charity Nia, said: “The police believe that Worboys may have raped more than 100 women, others think this is a conservative estimate.
“He’s served nine years and nine months, that’s just over a month per rape victim. How can we say justice has been served?
“On top of this, according to the CPS, the proportion of rape reports ending in a conviction has more than halved over the last seven years.
“Whilst this in part reflects increased reporting, it seems to me that the law is failing to deliver justice to too many women victims of sexual violence.
“The rehabilitation of offenders is an important principle, but the law should function to protect liberties and rights of the population and should act as a deterrent.
“Six weeks per rape victim? What sort of a message does this send? I struggle to think anything other than women will be less safe with Worboys on the streets.”