How John Worboys victim Carrie Symonds, now Boris Johnson's wife, helped catch the rapist and stop his appeal
She had a "narrow escape"
Believe Me tells the devastating true story of how three of John Worboys’ victims were failed by the system, and Carrie Johnson, née Symonds, was one of them.
Now wife of former UK PM Boris Johnson, Carrie experienced one of the most prolific sex attackers in British history first hand. In truly shocking events, Carrie – and possibly hundreds of others – fell victim to the ‘Black Cab Rapist’. He preyed on women under the cover of being a ‘respectable’ licensed taxi-cab driver.
Having offered them lifts home, often for little or no money, he would pretend he’d won some money on the lottery or in a casino win. He’d then coerce his victim into drinking some Champagne in the back of his cab. The girls and women did not know that Worboys had laced the alcohol with drugs. Rendered unconscious, the vile rapist would sexually attack them as they lay asleep.
In 2009, a judge finally convicted him of sexually assaulting 12 women between 2006 and 2008. The prosecution selected their cases from a large number of suspected further victims. Carrie Symonds was among the women who spoke up, and helped get him imprisoned.
Was Carrie Johnson née Symonds a victim of John Worboys?
Way before she married the Prime Minister of Britain, Carrie Symonds was a normal girl on a night out with friends. Like millions of men and women before her and after her, she had a few drinks socialising and letting off steam. As the 19-year-old waited for a bus home, a black cab driven by John Worboys pulled up and offered her a lift home. Despite only having a fiver in a pocket, John insisted he was going in the same direction as her.
Then a first year student at Warwick University, she had been waiting at a bus stop after a night out in Fulham when he pulled up on the King’s Road. It was July 2007 when John Worboys subjected her to his well-practised routine of plying his victims with alcohol. However, Carrie sensed danger and poured the Champagne on the floor of his cab without having a sip.
John then propositioned Carrie to perform a sex act on him, before joining her in the back of the cab where he pressured her to down a shot of vodka. John Worboys did drug Carrie. But she does not believe he raped her.
She was later shocked and horrified when she found out who he turned out to be…
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‘He seemed to be this sad man’
Speaking to The Telegraph in March 2009, Carrie Symonds said: “I felt indebted to him because he had given me a cheap lift home. But I secretly poured the glass on to the floor as I was worried it might be spiked.”
After John offered her the vodka, Symonds said: “I downed it, which was stupid, as I just wanted to get home. From that point on I can’t really remember what happened. He seemed to be this sad man who had no one to celebrate with him. I pitied him; I didn’t feel frightened – I just thought he was weird.”
Did Carrie consult on ITV true crime Believe Me?
Carrie Johnson (née Symonds) acted as a consultant on ITV drama Believe Me. Talking about the series, Carrie said: “I hope Believe Me serves as a wake-up call to the police, the CPS and the parole board. Far too often, institutions fail the women and girls they are meant to protect. 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.”
How did Carrie Johnson née Symonds help catch John Worboys?
Joh Worboys victim Carrie Symonds was one of the 14 women who testified against John Worboys at his trial.
She subsequently became a senior figure in the Conservative Party press team. Carrie put her career on the line when John Worboys was set to be released on parole (after just eight years). She spearheaded a huge media and political campaign pushing for an unprecedented judicial review of the Parole Board’s decision.
The campaign with Carrie and two other victims at the forefront, was successful. Therefore, the decision to release Worboys on parole was subsequently quashed. The bravery and resilience of these women resulted in significant changes to the law.
The courage of Carrie – and Worboys victims Sarah and Laila – led to a change in the law, making it easier for victims to challenge Parole Board decisions. John Worboys remains in prison, and away from vulnerable women, as a direct results of what Carrie, Sarah, and Laila did.
Miriam Petche plays Carrie Symonds in Believe Me
Talking about portraying Carrie Symonds in Believe Me, actress Miriam Petche told us: “Carrie had a slightly different involvement within the case. First, she waived her anonymity after Worboys’ trial and gave interviews to encourage other women to come forward. And later she helped with fundraising and used her press contacts to fight for a judicial review of the Parole Board’s decision in 2018.
“She must have had an incredible amount of courage to risk her career and use the tools at her disposal to support these women and make sure they were able to convince a judge to overturn the parole decision.”
She added: “I feel there’s a huge courage shown from all of these women in different ways and the story demonstrates that. Carrie’s courage came through using her expertise and using all the assets she could to help support these women. It’s a very crucial part of the story.”
Believe Me director Julia Ford described how Carrie Symonds played a pivotal role in the tragic affair. She said: “Carrie was really important in what happened. She galvanised the campaign, raised awareness in the media and was instrumental in raising lots of money. It’s a really fantastic, impressive thing, and I think people will find that fascinating.”
Read more: New documentaries and true crime on TV and streaming in May 2026
