01x03 - Episode 3

[bunniefuu]

WORBOYS:
Had a big win at the casino earlier.


Oh, wow.

I was wondering
if you'd have a drink for me?

'I think I was r*ped last night.
Must've put something in my drink.'

If he did, why would he drive you
to a police station?

Stop saying "if"!

Therefore, I do have to tell you

that our investigation
is being closed down.

It just feels
like you don't believe me.

NELL: So, this taxi driver
offers you a drink, and you take it?

He was taking me home for a fiver.

I mean, it's difficult
to keep saying no.

The taxi driver pushed this tablet
in my mouth.

If he did as*ault you,
then it would be extremely unlikely

for him to drive you home.

His cab would be identified
on university CCTV.

They're asking how you want this
designated as a crime?

Just tell them
"not known at present".

Because quite some time has passed,
the substance you were given

may not be present any more
in your blood.

FRANKIE: 'So, how many times
you been out with this guy, then?'

'Four?'
'So pretty serious.'

'Yeah. I like him.'

I have been informed, Laila,
that the Crown Prosecution Service

has declined to proceed
with any charges.

STEPHENS:
If you would like to collect

your clothing and possessions,

I can arrange for somebody
to hand them to you.

You'll need to hang on to them cos
you're gonna need them as evidence

when you realise
you were wrong about me.

I'd like to report a r*pe.

He's a black cab driver.

That's four attacks,

and we haven't really got started
on a proper search.

Look over there. Is it that one?

Can you see Mummy?

Not yet.
Whose that, eh?

Mummy!
Hello, sweetheart.

Look at that balloon!

Do you want up?

Do you want to say hello
to your baby brother?

This is Lenny.
Hello, Lenny.

Can I touch him?
Yeah. Of course you can touch him.

Be careful. Good boy.

LENNY WHINES SOFTLY
Aw, big grunts.

Oh.
How's it feel, Daddy?

I can't believe it.

What do you think?
He looks pretty.

He is pretty. He's very pretty.

You're amazing.
SHE CHUCKLES

How are you?
Yeah, my back's k*lling me.

I'm leaking milk
all over the place, but happy.

What do you think?
He looks lovely.

He does look lovely!



On a scratchcard.
HE LAUGHS

I couldn't believe it.

I mean, something like that

never happens to people like me,
does it?

Er, no, never.

Congratulations.

Anyway, I can't drink
cos I'm driving, so this is on me.

Cheers.

No, look, I'm an idiot, really.

You know, the first thing you do

is you go and buy
a bottle of Champagne, don't you,

if you win money as big as that?

But, like, I'm driving, ain't I?

I just didn't think.
I... I was so excited.

HE LAUGHS
What am I like?

So, how broad-minded are you, then?

SHE BREATHES SHAKILY

You won't believe
some of the stories

people tell me in this cab.

DOOR HANDLE RATTLES

What guys are prepared to pay for
when it comes to sex.

Can you let me out, please?

SHE EXHALES

Like, would you, say...

...give someone a blowjob
for a lot of money?

Like... You know, like,
say, five grand.

Would you give a guy a blowjob
for five grand?

Look, I've texted my husband.
He'll be waiting for me.

See, you're a gorgeous-looking girl.

Would love to have sex with you.

Now, why not make a few quid
on the side?

Let me out. Open it.

Just think of it
as a bit of a laugh.

Let me out!

HE CACKLES

That's my husband. Let me out.
HANDLE RATTLES

Open it!
LOCK CLUNKS

You've really wasted
my f*cking time tonight!

My team has now taken over
this investigation,

and the number of attacks
we are investigating

has now risen to five

after further searches
of our database

revealed another possibly linked
sexual as*ault in June 2005.

So the plan is to put out
a press release on Friday morning,

with the object
of making the women of London aware

that there is potentially
a serial sex attacker out there,

driving a black cab.

Why has a link between all
these attacks only just been made?

From what you've just told me,

he's been doing this
for a minimum of three years.

So why wasn't a link spotted
before now?

Aren't your team supposed to be
looking for links the whole time?

The link was picked up in
a routine review of sexual offences.

Routine?

Well, your other routine reviews

couldn't have been
very thorough, then.

Not if this was missed
for three years.

We are doing all we can.

One other question - why Friday?

Why wait until Friday
to get this out there?

Plans have to be put in place.

What about other girls
going out in London tonight?

'They're in danger too,
aren't they?'

HURRIED BREATHING

HE GRUNTS

VIBRATOR BUZZES

SHE WHIMPERS
No, no, no, no, no, no.

Stop...
You stay down there, right.

What you doing, eh?

SHE BREATHES SHAKILY

TYRES SCREECH

The key information

is that we believe there is
a black cab driver out there

tricking women passengers

into drinking a glass of Champagne
which he has drugged,

and then sexually assaulting
those women.

Now, typically,
he tells them he's had a win

at a casino or on the lottery

and that he wants them
to celebrate with him.

Then he offers them the Champagne.

Now, we have linked
five cases so far,

but we believe there are more,

which is why we're asking anyone
who recognises this method,

or any method similar to this,

to come forward
and help us identify this man.

You will not believe
what he said to me this time.

What's he done now?
I thought he was joking, right?

But he says, "If I bought you
a ring, would you move in with me?"

Oh. And I'm like,
"Ooh, what type of ring?"

And then he says,
"A friendship ring."

A what?
Exactly.

I said, "You can get lost, mate.
A friendship ring?

"What do you want me to be?
Your housemate?"

Can I get a veggie sausage, please?
He's taking the piss, isn't he?

SERVER: Just the one?
Yeah, thanks.

Rachel? What's up?

I need the supervisor.

A nurse?
REID: 'Works at a Haven Centre.'

Now, she said she saw The Sun today.

And in July of last year,

they dealt with a girl
with an almost identical story.

Driver said he'd won big
at a casino,

gave her Champagne
she was convinced was drugged.

Well, that's it.
That's now six victims.

Yeah, but the important bit...

is the cab was caught on CCTV at
her university halls of residence.

'We've got a name and address
for the driver.'

John Derek Worboys,
lives in Rotherhithe.

WINDOW OPENS

What's all this about, mate?
John Worboys?

Yeah.
I'm a police officer.

Can you come down
and open the door, please?

Well...
I've been out working all night.

What do you want?
Come down and open the door.

What is it?

John Derek Worboys,
I'm arresting you on suspicion

of six counts of sexual as*ault
between 2005 and 2008.

You do not have to say anything,
but it may harm your defence

if you do not mention,
when questioned,

something which you later rely on
in court.

'They're on their way
back to Sutton nick with him now.'

House is being searched.

Why didn't she flag, Dave?

The girl the nurse told us about.
Yeah.

Right. I, erm... I checked that out.

Seems it wasn't ever recorded
as a crime,

so there's no criminal
intelligence report in the system.

What? It was only logged
as a crime-related incident.

But that's against protocol.

The starting point
is that she should be believed.

'A suspect was arrested
earlier today.'

So we are now asking any women

who think they may have been
attacked by this man

to please come forward.

'They may well feel that something
has happened to them,

'but might not be certain what.

'But it's important for everyone
who recognises this man's behaviour

'to get in touch with us
as a matter of urgency.'

ECHOING: 'Do I admit
making a mistake

'getting into the back with her?

'Could say, got in the back
to help her find her stuff,

'and she flashed her t*ts at me.'

And what would you say
to any women who do come forwards

who are perhaps feeling scared
or vulnerable?

I would say
that they will be supported,

that they will be listened to...

...and that they will be believed.

I'd go Koh Samui over Phuket
every time. Every time.

I mean, both in Thailand,
but Hannah said

she's sold three holidays
in Koh Samui in the last fortnight.

What do you think of Koh Samui?
Yeah. It's all right.

I'm going there next year. Defo.
Love Koh Samui.

PHONE BUZZES
She's winding me up, though, Hannah.

"Can you order some more A4?

"Can you get
a coconut-scented candle?

"Can you go out and get me a coffee?
Almond milk not dairy."

I've got a question to ask you,
Hannah -

what did your last bloody sl*ve
die of?

Er, I'm sorry,
I think I've forgotten something.

You what?
Erm, can you just...?

Just tell Hannah
I won't be a minute.

'They didn't even warn me.'

It's him, isn't it?
'Yeah.'

Yeah.

It is. It... It's him.

It's exactly what he did to me.

Why am I finding out about it
from a newspaper?

What the f*ck?
What the f*ck am I supposed to do?

PHONE BUZZES

Frankie, I'm just feeding the baby.

'Are you watching the news?'
What?

Just turn the news on now. ITV.

One sec.

'Typically, he tells them
that he has won some cash

'at the casino or on the lottery.

'Then he offers them a drink
of Champagne, which he has drugged.

'Most of the women
who have so far come forward

'have no memory of what happened

'in the period
after drinking the Champagne.'

They, er, said
at the start of the report

that he was a black cab driver.

'Mate, it's exactly
how you said it happened.'

They wouldn't listen to me.

I thought I was going mad.
'I know.'

You've got to call them, Sarah.
No!

SHE EXHALES
I can't go through that again.

Well... please just think about it.

I haven't even told Gav
what happened.

I was told by a friend

about the story
in The Sun newspaper today,

and when I read it,
I knew straight away

that this man had done
something similar to me.

Yes, it was in July of last year.

I was told, when my case
was gonna be closed down,

that one of your officers
didn't think a black cab driver

would risk his licence
by assaulting a fare.

That... That is what was said to me.

No, what... what I want to know
is if the man who was arrested today

is the same man
who attacked me last year.

Can you at least tell me that, please?

I-I don't need a name.

OK. Thank you very much.
I've got to go now.

It's the same man.

A long time ago, er, five years ago,
before I met you...

...I was r*ped.

But nobody believed me.

The police didn't believe me.

Not even Connor believed me.

And the man who did it,
he's done it to other women too,

and he's just been arrested.

Come here. Erm, it's all right.
I don't need a cuddle.

I've put it behind me,
and that's where it's gonna stay.

They've asked people to come
forward, but I'm not going to.

You have to go to the police, Sarah.

It's enough that I know,

after all these years,
that I was right.

That that man did drug me,
he did attack me.

Beyond that... I don't want
to waste any more of my life on him.

OK, let's start with the allegations

of you touching female passengers
in your cab in a sexual way.

How do you respond to this?
No comment.

Er, Mr Worboys will not be answering
any of your questions tonight,

as is his right.

But he has prepared a statement,

which he is prepared
to read out to you now.

OK, John.

Let's hear what you have to say.

CLEARS THROAT

READS: I am innocent
of all the allegations

that have been put to me.

I have never made sexual contact
with any passenger whilst in my cab,

and I have also never administered
any form of drug to a passenger,

also whilst in my cab.

I am innocent
of all of these allegations

that have been put to me

and offended that anyone
would think that I,

as a respected black cab driver,

would be capable of behaving
in this despicable manner.

Thank you.

I'm completely innocent.

OK, John,

you will be detained
for further questioning,

and we're also gonna need some swabs
and a DNA sample from you.

PHONES RINGING,
BUSY CHATTER

It's been white hot all day.

How many linked cases?




Same description,
same modus operandi.

And that number is only gonna rise
when the lines open again tomorrow.


Yeah.

I mean, 43?

What is happening here?

LENNY VOCALISES

I've just got to get it all straight
in my head before I call them.

Want a cup of tea?
Yeah, please. Thank you.

Come here, you.

I called him a lovely man.

Hm?

He gave me a cigarette,
and I said he was a lovely man.

I can't bear
that I f*cking said that to him.

You're doing the right thing.

Come on.

Why did nobody tell me

that you were going
to arrest this man?

Very sorry about that.

Why did I have to find out about it
through the newspapers and the TV?

The answer is to do
with the original team

who investigated your complaint.

It seems they only recorded it
as "a crime-related incident"

and not as a crime,

so your details
and the details of the complaint

were never properly in the system.

Right.

Right.
EXHALES DEEPLY

Because you know they...

they didn't really believe anything
that I said.

I'm not gonna sit here and try and
defend the original investigation.

Good. Because it appears
that mistakes were clearly made.

To be told, effectively,
that I was lying was devastating.

Do you understand that?

Absolutely devastating.

And I've had to live with that
for the last five years.

My parents were devastated
when I left uni.

But I've never told them,
or my brothers...

...what happened to me, because we're
not that kind of family.

So when the police,

the only people that I thought
would... support me,

turned their backs on me,
that left me totally alone.

Well, if the CPS had reviewed
the evidence in your case,

perhaps there might have been
a different outcome.

But unfortunately, that is...
Wait, wait. Sorry, you, erm...

Did you...

Did you just say
that the CPS did not review my case?

No.

I was told
that the Crown Prosecution Service

had looked at all the evidence
and decided not to proceed,

which is... which is why
they closed the investigation

in the first place.

No, I can tell you that the CPS

did not review the evidence
in your case.

The decision to close
your investigation

was made by the senior officers
overseeing it.

They lied to me.

I am sorry to say
we haven't been able

to locate your
Achieving Best Evidence video...

or any of the items of clothing
you told us about.

What? None of the items
you were wearing that night

were where they should have been -
in the evidence store.

SHE SCOFFS SOFTLY

I reckon they got rid of all
my evidence when he was arrested

because they knew
it would make them look bad.

I don't know if that's the case.

I can only hope that it isn't.

Now, I'm guessing they were looking
for the classic date-r*pe drugs,

such as Rohypnol,
and didn't find any.

No, no, no, but they told me
they found nothing.

Like I was... Like I was... lying.
No...

Like I was lying
about being drugged. That's...

The tests showed diphenhydramine,

which is the active ingredient
in Nytol, was found in your urine.

OK, so if they'd have just...

...asked me, I could have told them

that I've never knowingly taken
that drug in my life.

There were drugs in my bloodstream?
Yes.

Er, citalopram,
codeine and morphine.

SHE EXHALES
Hang on.

I've never taken
citalo-whatever-it-is

in my bloody life.

It's a prescription anti-depressant.

Never taken an anti-depressant.
OK.

Why didn't they tell me
they found these things in my blood?

Why didn't they tell me?

To feel like
you're not being believed...

...and then to find out

they couldn't even be bothered
to do their job properly, I...

I can't explain to you...

...how angry and brutalised...

...and bewildered I feel.

I would say that, erm,

based on
just this conversation today,

you might have grounds
for a formal complaint.

And if you like,
I could give you the...

the details of who to take that to.

And who would that be?

It's a body called the IPCC.

The Independent Police
Complaints Commission.

Yeah, I've heard about them.

I work for a firm of solicitors.

The IPCC, it's made up
of ex-police officers, isn't it?

Yeah.

So the police
marking their own homework.

I can tell you now, they'll find
that nobody did anything wrong.

Laila Mahmood.

OFFICER: Carrie Symonds.

HUSHED: Sorry.

That's him.

OK.

Sarah Adams.

Oh, God. Yeah. That's him.

SHE SIGHS

I was, er, talking to Mrs Purvis
today, at my art class.

She said her daughter's decided
she wants to study law.

She said she warned her it's going
to take many years of hard work,

but the girl seems adamant.

She doesn't even want to take
a gap year.

She's going to start in September.

Admirable, don't you think?

I'm going
to the garden centre tomorrow,

if you want to come, Laila?

Pick up a few pots for the garden.
Fancy it?

No, I can't. Sorry.

I have to work on Saturdays.
Oh. Oh.

CONNOR: So, how's things?
Yeah, OK.

Work?

I mean, I endure it
rather than enjoy it.

You still smoking?

Er, no, I've quit.

I mean, very occasionally.
Mm.

I'm still trying to stop. Why?

I'm just concerned
about your health.

My health's fine, isn't it?
Yeah?

Come on.
Well, that's good. That's good.

I just...
I wanted to say I'm sorry.

Look, I saw the news,
and I've read the papers.

I'm sorry for not believing you.

Jack, go back into the kitchen

and get yourself a Snickers
out of the fridge.

I don't want a Snickers.

Go into the kitchen,
take whatever you want,

but just eat it in there!

Yeah. Go on, mate.

Sarah, I'm sorry.

Like, I'm so sorry.

I was in a room the other day...

It was full of women waiting
to do identity parades. Yeah.

It almost k*lled me.

All these women who'd gone through
what I went through...

...who would have been
spared it if...

...if they'd only believed me.

Yeah, but you can't blame yourself
for that.

Can't I?

Did I try hard enough?
You did. You did.

I know you did.
Just...

Sorry.

You know, my life's OK.

I'm happy enough.

Gavin's a nice guy, and...

...we've got Lenny, and I...

...I thank God every day for him.

But I should have still been here,
Connor.

Living with you.

Jack should have been living
with his mum and dad.

I should have been your wife.

I loved you.

That's how much
this has f*cked up my life.

But thank you for your apology.

I accept it.

Jack!

Er, what's that?

CONNOR CHUCKLES

Come on.

See you on Monday.
Mm-hm.

See you later, mate.

CHATTER

REPORTER: John Worboys
will be in court today...

We're gonna proceed in court

with charges relating
to 14 of the women he attacked.



But there...
there are loads more than that.

The CPS wanna keep the case
as simple as possible for the jury.

They're worried it could
get bogged down in too much detail.

I'm not entirely sure I agree,
but OK.

We want you to be one of the 14

and give evidence in court
against Worboys.

CARRIE: 'Me?'

But I'm still not sure
what he did to me.

That doesn't matter.

You know, his offending
had a pattern to it,

and your experience
exactly fits that pattern.

And crucially,
you had a really good recollection

of most of your journey home
with him.

And the CPS also think
that your mother's evidence

about knowing
that you weren't drunk,

that she thought you'd been drugged,
will also be helpful.

So you want me
to give evidence, too?

I sit?

DS WARRILOW: 'OK, so we've heard
from the CPS.'

The plan is that 14 of the women
are gonna speak in court.

But they won't be asking you
to testify.

Why?

Well, the thing is, you...

you didn't pick him out
in the ID parade.

It'd been a long time,

and he looked really different
with me that night.

And because so much evidence
from your case has been lost...

f*cking destroyed, in my opinion!

It's about not giving
the defence an opening, Sarah.

SHE SIGHS

That's hard.

Cos I wanted
to look the b*stard in the eye

and tell everybody
what he did to me.

I wanted to have my moment in court.

I wanted to look him in the eye
and say,

"Yeah, I'm sending you to prison,
because that's where you belong."

I know. I'm sorry, Sarah.

Sometimes, in these...
these big cases,

it's... it's easy
to overwhelm a jury.

So the strategy is to...
to stick to the offences

where we've been able to collect
the most comprehensive evidence.

And 14, is that enough?

Well, the CPS are confident
that this will give the trial judge

enough ammunition to put him away
for a long, long time.

SHE SIGHS

OK.

Mr Worboys freely admits a good deal

of the circumstances
surrounding these events.

For instance, he has always actively
sought to engage female passengers

in conversation in his taxi cab,

"banter" as he calls it.

And he sometimes did this
by telling them, falsely,

that he had won money that night
through gambling

and by showing them a bag
filled with cash.

But he says this was simply
a conversation starter

and his objective was not sexual,
it was simply female company.

It was an ice-breaker,
in that respect.

He is adamant
that any sexual contact

between him and any woman
in his taxi was consensual,

that it was non-penetrative,

and that it was initiated
by those women.

No, I don't remember
feeling scared that night.

You didn't feel threatened
by Mr Worboys?

No. I actually thought
he came across as sort of pathetic.

Not some sort of predatory monster,

just a normal taxi driver
engaging in some banter with you?

I actually think
that harmless demeanour

is what makes him so dangerous,

precisely because he puts you
off guard

as he hands over his drinks
from the front.

He's like a...
a professional conman.

It's clear, would you agree,

that your daughter
had been drinking that night?

A few drinks, correct.

So I put it to you
that it's reasonable to assume

that she was intoxicated?

I've never seen her intoxicated.

She rarely drinks alcohol.

She was in distress.

She was insensible.
She was like a rag doll.

There was something else
in her system.

She was vomiting continuously.

You don't get like she was
that night just from a few drinks.

I swear by Allah that the evidence
I shall give shall be the truth,

the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth.

Two large glasses of red wine.

Yes.
And you drank those.

And then you go to the toilet,
and you are sick?

Yes. I... I sometimes get nauseous
when I'm on my period.

But that was not going to deter you
from your plans for that evening,

and you went back to your friends
and carried on as normal.

In your statement,

you say you then had two vodkas
and lemonade?

Yes.

And did your drinking stop there,

or did you have rather more to drink
that night

than you've told us about?

Not that I remember.

Shortly after you got into his taxi,

Mr Worboys handed you a glass
of something bubbly?

Maybe Champagne,
something like that.

And you drank that, too?

Yes.

Why?
Because he forced me to.

He... He wouldn't take "no"
for an answer.

Oh, but he's driving.
He's in the front of the cab?

Yes, but he just...

He... He kept persisting
and persisting and persisting.

But he can't actually force you
to drink it, can he?

Well, he forced me to take the pill?
We'll come to that in a minute.

My question to you is why you felt
you had to drink that Champagne

when you were not obliged to?

Because...

LAILA STAMMERS SOFTLY

...he wouldn't take "no"
for an answer.

Or is the reality
that he was being a very chatty

and personable taxi driver,
engaging in some banter with you,

who'd offered you a drink,

and which you had accepted
and drank perfectly happily?

No.

You say you remember him
getting into the back of the cab

with pills in his hand,

and that he forced one
into your mouth.

Right?
Yes.

And what are you doing to resist?

Well, I'm...

I'm trying to...

move him away from me.

So you were perfectly able
to struggle and resist? Yeah.

But you don't mention struggling

and resisting
in your police statement?

Well, if it's not there,
it's not there.

But I was...

I was feeling quite drowsy after
he made me drink the Champagne.

And after the pill went down,

your mind is pretty much
straightaway a blank thereafter?

Yes.

So we really are in the realms
of almost instant unconsciousness?

Yes, that's right.

Well, I suggest to you
that you'd already consumed

a large amount of alcohol
before you got in Mr Worboys's taxi,

and that he did not give you a pill
or force it down your throat.

Do you disagree with me?
Yes.

And you can't make up your mind

whether you could
or couldn't fight him off,

or did or didn't have a lot
to drink,

or pretty much anything else
that night

because you were so intoxicated?

Laila, I just want to thank you
for giving evidence.

I don't think there's any doubt
he'll be found guilty.

Yeah. I thought you held up
really well in there.

Did you?
Yeah.

Yeah, that was tough.

Laila, can I get you anything?
A cup of tea?

No, thanks,
I'd just like to go home.

I'm Debbie
from the police press office.

I just wondered if you'd consider
waiving your anonymity

and providing us
with some media interviews?

What?!

We just thought
if someone could stand up,

someone articulate like yourself,

and talk about what had happened
to you,

this might encourage more women
to come forward?

No. No, I can't...
I can't do that. I'm sorry.

You've got the wrong person. Sorry.

Hi. Erm, sorry, I'm Sarah.
Do I know you?

I've been through
exactly what you've been through.

Have you got time for a coffee?

I wanted to punch
that f*cking barrister

in his stupid face.

Like, why is it OK for him
to make out I'm a liar?

He was going through
every tiny thing

in your statement in minute detail,

just trying to find
some little thing to pick away at.

Why is that still happening?
I was raging, too, just watching.

What is the point of this farce?
He's f*cking guilty.

You know,
I've been looking into bringing

a complaint against the police
for the way they've treated us.

With me, there was so much stuff
they missed out

in the first few weeks,
it was just ridiculous.

Yeah, but it's their own
disciplinary people, isn't it?

What's the point?

I'm not talking
about going through the IPCC,

I wanna make some proper noise.

I'm looking into suing them.

Suing?
Yeah.

There's a lawyer
I've been put in touch with

who might be prepared to take it on.

She's called Harriet Wistrich.
She's got a great reputation.

But I can't do it by myself.

I had a quick chat with her,

and she said
there'd be a much stronger case

if there was someone else
who had been through the same thing.

So you're asking,
do I wanna sue the police with you?

Well, yeah.

You don't have to make a decision...

Yes.
What?

Yes. Let's sue the b*stards.
Oh.

Great.
Yeah.

You developed
and perfected a web of deceit

that was sufficient
to ensnare young, intelligent

and sensible women
who had enjoyed a night out

and whose only mistake,
as it turned out,

was to get into your cab
late at night.

There is no doubt that you continue

to constitute a significant risk
of serious harm

through the commission
of further offences.

I therefore pass down on you
an indeterminate sentence

of imprisonment
for public protection,

with a minimum custodial term
of eight years.

I wouldn't worry
about the eight years.

As I understand it,
the judge had to give a number,

but a parole board
still has to decide if it's safe

to release him,
and I can't see that happening.

Eight years did spook me a bit.

Yeah, he's not getting out.

Anyway, Carrie, thanks for agreeing
to do some interviews.

I think if someone like yourself,
someone so articulate, can stand up,

then it will encourage more women
to come forward.

I'm nervous,
but if it gives others a voice,

it seems like the right thing to do.

Thanks again. I'll start
to get some things set up. OK?

OK.
Thanks, Carrie.

What have you got to do?

Oh, just some interviews
about what happened to me.

They need someone to waive their
anonymity and be a focal point.

My goodness.
Do you think that's a good idea?

You're so young.
Do you want this hanging over you?

Well, they said it's important
that more people come forward.

I'm just sick of all of us being
on the back foot, Mum.

JOSEPHINE
SIGHS SOFTLY

SARAH: Could he really get out
that soon?

Cos the thought of him
ever being released terrifies me.

LAILA: Me too.

Well, theoretically, yes,
after eight years,

he could apply for parole, but, erm,

in order to do that, he'd first
have to admit to what he's done.

And his position has consistently
been that he is totally innocent.

Right, so not just a psycho,
a thick psycho.

So his position is 105 women
have all just made it all up?

It's up to 105 now?

Well, I was told the actual number
might be nearer 500.

Is that correct?

That's what the police said.

So what do you think, Harriet?

There's potentially
hundreds of women out there

who have suffered needlessly

because the police
didn't do their job properly.

They shouldn't be allowed
to get away with what they've done.

Well, neither of you qualifies
for legal aid,

so you're asking me to take this on
on a no-win, no-fee basis?

I'm afraid we are, yeah.

OK, firstly,

the problem is you can't sue
the police for negligence.

Why not? The law states
that if they could be sued,

they wouldn't be able
to do the job properly

because they'd always be looking
over their shoulder

waiting for the next writ.

Just how the law is, I'm afraid.

But my advice would be to pursue
this under the Human Rights Act,

and argue
that the police's actions...

Or inactions.

...or inactions,
infringed on your right

to not be subjected to inhuman
or degrading treatment.

Well, that exactly describes
what happened to us. Yes.

The only problem is,
is that it's never been done before.

And, erm, in your case, Sarah,

there is a statute
of limitations issue.

You must seek an action
within one year,

and it's been five years since
the police investigated your case.

And in your case, Laila,
they could argue

that however ineffective
their initial investigation was,

they did ultimately arrest
the correct man.

Shall we close the door
on the way out, then?

But the first thing I would do,

is I would contact the police
and declare our intentions.

Now, they will jump up and down,

tell us we don't have a legal leg
to stand on

and that we're out of time.

But they will have to disclose
to us statements and other evidence,

and I'm betting that will throw up
some pretty interesting stuff.