A new ITV true crime series has brought renewed interest in the case of convicted sex offender John Worboys. Often referred to as the 'black cap rapist', he is currently serving a life sentence in prison for luring numerous women into his taxi and offering them drinks laced with drugs, a pattern of offending which is explored in Believe Me.
As well as detailing Worboys' heinous crimes, the series unpacks the impact on victims and their fight for justice. Now, one of his most recognisable victims, Carrie Johnson, has spoken out to reveal "the truth".
"The truth is that his crimes span from – what we know – 2000 up to when he was convicted in 2009," she said in a new interview with Good Morning Britain today (20 May). "And he was a cab driver for that duration, out potentially every night in his cab."
To that end, Carrie, who is the wife of former British PM Boris Johnson, said there could potentially be far more victims than we realise. "There could be up to 1,000, if not more than that," she said.
"I think there'll be women who, like me, were drugged, who might not realise they were drugged, who just thought, 'God, maybe that last drink didn't sit well with me', or now maybe they've seen what's happened and they think, 'Oh well, it's done'," she went on. "I would urge them to come forward if they can."
Carrie also pointed out that it's possible tourists and foreign visitors, who frequently use black cabs, may have also fallen victim to Worboys but never reported it. If that is the case, she says the scale of the rapist's crimes "could be enormous."
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This is something we are already seeing play out following the release of Believe Me. Carrie notes that the show has helped raise awareness of Worboys' crimes and empowered his victims to speak out. "More women are now coming forward," she said, adding that this "might really help keep him behind bars for good."
Stream all episodes of Believe Me on ITVX.
