John Worboys may be transferred from prison to high-security psychiatric hospital
Serial rapist John Worboys, serving two life terms, has been told he could move from prison to a secure hospital after experts diagnosed a personality disorder.
John Worboys, convicted of 19 sexual offences against 12 women and serving two life sentences, has been informed that he may be transferred from prison to a high-security psychiatric hospital. He is presently in the Westgate Unit at HMP Frankland in County Durham, a unit designed to treat inmates with severe personality disorders. Experts have diagnosed Worboys with such a disorder, prompting consideration of a move to a facility like Broadmoor Hospital.
Worboys, who now uses the name John Radford, said he was delighted by the news, viewing a hospital setting as more manageable than a high-security jail. The potential transfer follows a recent parole board ruling that he remains too dangerous for release, after earlier attempts to free him were overturned by public outcry. His case originally stemmed from a series of assaults committed between 2006 and 2008 while posing as a black cab driver in London’s West End.
Why it matters
The possible shift to a psychiatric hospital highlights how the justice system handles high-risk offenders with mental health issues.
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