BLACK cab rapist John Worboys should never have been given an indeterminate sentence, says a Dorset MP.
As the chairman of the Parole Board apologised “unreservedly” over the failure to inform the victims of serial rapist John Worboys of his imminent release, MP Sir Chris Chope said further charges should have been brought against Worboys.
The cabbie, who also worked as a taxi driver in Bournemouth, was jailed indefinitely in 2009, with a minimum term of eight years, for drugging and sexually assaulting women passengers.
Christchurch MP, Sir Chris, a barrister by profession, said: “The difficulty here is that he has been the subject of an indeterminate sentence - something I am critical of.
“The problem is that there are a host of other offences which he has never been charged with.
“The fact that a decision was taken not to through the book at him is an error.
“The notion of the indeterminate sentence may have contributed to the decision not to charge him with those other crimes.”
Worboys, a former stripper and adult film star, who became known as the “black cab rapist”, was found guilty of 19 charges of drugging and sexually assaulting 12 women passengers, in one case raping a woman.
But police said in 2010 that his alleged victims numbered 102 after more people came forward following his trial and conviction.
The allegations were investigated but no further action was taken on the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), police said.
The CPS said in 2010 that they had received no new material since the trial.
In a statement at the time they added: “The arrangement with the police is that if there is strong evidence of allegations of serious offences we would consider any new files.”
The director of public prosecutions at the time of Worboys’ conviction, Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer, has urged any alleged victims with concerns to contact the police.
The shadow Brexit secretary said: “As you know, the Crown Prosecution Service holds the file on this case, they made the decisions in the case, and it is really important you go to them to get an accurate read-out of the decisions that have been made.”
Worboys’ ex-wife, Jean Clayton, said he should “never be let out”.
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