BELIEVE ME: FIRST LOOK AT UPCOMING ITV CRIME DRAMA ON 'BLACK CAB RAPIST' JOHN WORBOYS

ITV has released a selection of first-look images from its upcoming four-part true crime drama Believe Me, starring Aimée-Ffion Edwards (Slow Horses, Peaky Blinders, Dreamland, Mr Burton)  as Sarah, Miriam Petche (Industry)  as Carrie and Aasiya Shah (Raised by Wolves, Bloods, The Beast Must Die) as Laila.

Daniel Mays (Des, A Thousand Blows, The Long Shadow, Moonflower Murders) takes the role of John Worboys. Believe Me tells the story of how the victims of one of the most prolific sex attackers in British history were failed by the system. John Worboys was dubbed the ‘black cab rapist’ after preying on women under the cover of being a ‘respectable’ licensed taxi-cab driver.  

He was convicted in 2009 for crimes including sexual assault and drugging with intent against twelve women between 2006 and 2008, with their cases selected from a large number of suspected further victims. His modus operandi was to pick up women in his cab after they’d been on a night out, claim that he’d had a win at a casino or on the lottery, then persistently offer them a drug-laced glass of champagne to help him ‘celebrate’ - which then rendered his victims unconscious.

The drama focuses on the ordeal of Sarah (Aimée-Ffion Edwards) and Laila (Aasiya Shah), who reported sexual assaults by Worboys (Daniel Mays), and how the Metropolitan Police failed to thoroughly investigate their allegations, leading them to feel that they were just not believed. 

We see what countless women say they have to go through after reporting being raped, the indignity of multiple interviews and intimate evidence gathering, and how they can face skeptical lines of questioning from the police. For instance, Laila was even asked by an officer if her red nail varnish was indicative of her character.

Believe Me will relate how the Met’s failings effectively left Worboys free to commit assaults undetected for many years; following his trial came the realisation that he was linked to allegations of further sexual offences against over a hundred women. 

Sarah and Laila then joined forces with solicitor Harriet Wistrich, played by Philippa Dunne and barrister Phillippa Kaufmann QC, played by Rachael Stirling, to sue the Metropolitan Police under the Human Rights Act for their failure to properly conduct investigations into their allegations of sexual assault, leading to their being subjected to degrading treatment and contributing to their distress.

They won. And when the Met appealed that judgment all the way to the Supreme Court, they won again.  As these women fought against the odds to have their cases heard, looming in the background was Worboys’ first parole hearing. Unbelievably, only eight years after he was convicted for his crimes, his victims were made to fight again to keep him behind bars. 

Sarah, Laila, Harriet and Phillippa were joined by Carrie Symonds (Miriam Petche), who was targeted by Worboys in her youth but had a narrow escape, and who was now a senior figure in the Conservative Party press team. She put her career on the line to spearhead a huge media and political campaign pushing for an unprecedented judicial review of the Parole Board’s decision. The campaign, with Sarah, Laila and Carrie at the forefront, was successful, and Worboys’ parole was quashed. The  bravery and resilience of these women resulted in significant changes to the law. 

Sarah, whose identity has been protected, said: “Believe Me is about the courage of every woman who came forward to help put John Worboys behind bars.

“What happened to me changed my life, but in many ways the hardest part was not being believed for so many years. Without the people who stood by me, Worboys would have been freed and continued to pose a huge risk to women.

“Seeking justice shouldn’t mean more trauma. We shouldn’t have to fight to be believed or feel like we’re the ones on trial. The shame never belongs to the survivor.”

Carrie Johnson (nee Symonds): “I hope Believe Me serves as a wake-up call to the police, the CPS and the parole board. Far too often, women and girls are failed by the very institutions meant to protect them. 

“The treatment of the victims in this case was truly shameful. Reform matters but what we urgently need above all is a profound shift in culture. It takes enormous courage for women to come forward. They must know that when they do, they will be treated seriously and with respect, and that every effort will be made to ensure justice is done.”

Academy Award nominated and BAFTA and RTS award winning screenwriter Jeff Pope is no stranger to drama based on true stories having recently written Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes and previously being known for The Walk In, Hatton Garden, A Confession, Little Boy Blue, Mrs Biggs and Lucan. He  was also Executive Producer on  The Reckoning and Appropriate Adult (both written by Neil McKay).

The drama is coming soon to ITV1 and STV and will be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player.