Woman who says she was drugged and thrown in Thames by John Worboys claims police told her they 'had enough victims'
The alleged victim did not report her experience until 2008 after a nationwide appeal was launched to identify potential victims
A woman who claims she was drugged and thrown into the River Thames by the Black Cab Rapist John Worboys, was told by police they would not pursue her case because they “already had enough victims", LBC has learned.
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The harrowing new allegations come as dozens of women have come forward in response to the ITV drama, Believe Me, which aired earlier this month.
The Metropolitan Police says it is actively “assessing” the new claims, as the force urges women who believe they may have been victims to come forward.
Last week, Carrie Johnson, the wife of the former prime minister, Boris Johnson, claimed that as many as 1,000 women may have been assaulted by Worboys. Ms Johnson was a passenger of Worboys's cab when she was 19-years old.
Becki Houlston, who was targeted by the black cab driver in the early 2000s in Bournemouth, recounted a story shared by a fellow Worboys survivor.
Read more: Sex offender who groomed children as young as 12 on social media jailed
“I know one woman who got into his cab and she did drink the drink," she told LBC. "As the taxi was heading out towards Embankment, she realised the taxi was going the wrong way.
“She told him it was going the wrong way, but he wasn’t taking notice of her.
"When she got an opportunity, she left the cab, but he got out and chased after her, and the last memory she had was his trousers coming down, and then he threw her in the Thames.
“She came around in the early hours of the morning and the tide was out. She woke up covered in dirt. And if anyone knows the Thames, she had loads of infections as a result.”
The woman did not report her experience until 2008 after a nationwide appeal was launched to identify potential victims. However, when she came forward, she was told by an officer at the force, which LBC is not naming, that police had "enough victims now”.
While there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Worboys in her case, Ms Houlston decided to waive her anonymity to encourage other women to share their accounts with police.
“By this point, it should have been easy to walk into a police station and report it," she added.
“She walked into a police station outside of London, as she’d moved by then. She said ‘I’m a victim of John Worboys and I’d like to make a statement’.
“And a police officer behind the counter said ‘we’ve got enough victims, thank you’, and didn’t even take a statement.”
The shocking case is one of dozens to have come to light since the airing of Believe Me.
Carrie Johnson, who has been helping survivors of Worboys to seek justice, claimed there could be up to 1,000 victims.
Harriet Wistrich, who represents a number of victims for the Centre for Women’s Justice, said: “I know that many women won’t have reported him, or still now won’t want to report him.
“I know one woman who is so traumatised by what happened, she can’t face reporting or getting involved, unless it’s necessary to keep him in prison.
“I think there are a lot of cases in that category and I do believe it could be as many as 1,000 - certainly as many as 500.”
Ms Houlston said she believes many women were targeted by Worboys outside of London, including Bournemouth, where the convicted rapist owned a ‘holiday home’.
Dorset Police confirmed the force had received reports from some women, but these were passed to the Met, which is leading the nationwide investigation into Worboys.
The Met has previously apologised for “serious failings” in the investigation into the black cab driver’s crimes.
Worboys was convicted in 2009 for offences linked to 12 women, but the Met identified 105 potential victims. He was handed an indefinite sentence for public protection with a minimum term of 8 years.
There was public outcry in 2018 when a parole board recommended his release, but that decision was overturned by the High Court after more victims came forward.
A year later, he was sentenced to life with a minimum of six years after admitting further offences.
A 2019 report from a prison psychologist referred to Worboys accepting he preyed on 90 women.
Earlier this month, a parole board denied his release for the second time.
A Met spokesperson said: “The Met is currently assessing a number of reports received following recent publicity surrounding the John Worboys case. It will take time to review this information, and we will provide further updates as soon as we are able.”
“We’re continuing to work with partners across the criminal justice system to ensure victim-survivors are at the heart of our response.
“If you believe you may have been a victim or have any information about Worboys, we urge you to please contact us by calling 101, ask to speak to the Metropolitan Police and quote Operation Safford, CAD 4648/23MAY. Alternatively, you can email a dedicated team on CIT@met.police.uk.”