Violence against women is at ‘breaking point’, says writer of John Worboys drama

Jeff Pope, whose ITV drama Believe Me tells the story of survivors of the ‘black-cab rapist,’ says police must change how sexual assault cases are dealt with

Violence against women is “at breaking point” and the justice system needs to change, according to the writer of new ITV drama Believe Me about the survivors of “black-cab rapist” John Worboys.

Jeff Pope, who is also writing a BBC drama about the murder of Sarah Everard, said he wanted to tell these stories because “something needs to happen” and the “police just won’t seem to me to change”.

Believe Me tells the true story of how the women who were attacked by Worboys were failed and doubted by the Metropolitan police. He was eventually jailed in 2019, with the help of evidence from Carrie Symonds (now married to Boris Johnson) who was drugged, but escaped being raped. Symonds is portrayed in Believe Me by Industry actor Miriam Petche.

Believe Me also highlights the “utterly horrific [figure] … that for every 100 rapes and sexual assaults reported to the police only three proceed to charges”, explained Pope.