John Worboys, the serial sex offender known as the black cab rapist, will have his latest bid for freedom examined in a rare public parole hearing this summer.
A Notorious Criminal and Landmark Legal Challenge
The 68-year-old, who now uses the name John Radford, was first imprisoned in 2009. He was found guilty of 19 sex offences against 12 women committed between 2006 and 2008 while he worked as a London taxi driver.
In a controversial 2017 decision, the Parole Board initially ruled Worboys could be released. However, that ruling was overturned following a landmark legal challenge mounted by two of his victims, which sparked widespread public outrage.
This outcry led directly to a change in the rules, allowing some parole hearings to be conducted in public to increase transparency. Subsequently, in December 2019, Worboys was handed two life sentences with a minimum term of six years after four more victims came forward. The sentencing judge concluded he remained a danger to women.
The Scale of the Offences and Upcoming Hearing
Police have long believed the former male stripper's crimes were far more extensive than his convictions suggest, with suspicions he may have targeted over 100 women. His modus operandi involved claiming lottery or betting wins, showing victims a bag of cash, and plying them with drugged champagne in the back of his Hackney carriage.
In a decision published on Wednesday 14 January 2026, Peter Rook KC, acting for the Parole Board chair, confirmed the hearing will take place on 9 and 10 June. He noted the proceedings would likely cover serious allegations for which Worboys has never been convicted.
A Parole Board panel will determine if the Category A prisoner is safe to be released or if he should be moved to an open prison. This will be only the twelfth public parole hearing since the rules changed in 2022.
Victim Responses and Procedural Scrutiny
The probation service contacted all victims registered under its contact scheme. Of the seven who responded, four supported or were neutral about a public hearing, while three were strongly opposed, fearing it could cause renewed trauma.
Mr Rook acknowledged their predicament but stated the powerful factors distinguishing this case meant the hearing should proceed publicly. Worboys, from Enfield in north London, continues to be one of the UK's most infamous sex offenders, and his parole process remains under intense scrutiny.
