Officer who cracked serial rapist Worboys case says justice system close to exploding'

"The police officer in charge of solving the case of the black-cab rapist John Worboys says similar crimes could still be happening today as the criminal justice system is close to exploding. Tim Grattan-Kane was the senior investigating officer of the team who arrested Worboys in 2008 after they pieced together the accounts of numerous women who had reported being given drugged champagne by a London taxi driver, who then assaulted them."

"Grattan-Kane, who is now retired, said the overstretched justice system was close to exploding with a frightening bang. He said he knew of young police officers who were frustrated by the system and waiting to get results from the Crown Prosecution Service, who are underfunded and taking so long to make decisions. He also said there was a lack of support workers because of financial cuts and getting trials for cases was difficult because so many courts had been closed."

"Speaking before the broadcast of a new ITV drama, Believe Me, about the women whose testimony convicted Worboys, Grattan-Kane said he believed there remained a real problem with men administering drugs to facilitate sexual assault. He pointed to the Gisele Pelicot case in France, and that of Vikas Nath, a Knightsbridge restaurateur who is facing trial on allegations that he raped and sexually assaulted a woman who had been drugged, which he denies."

"Speaking more generally, Grattan-Kane, who has been advising producers at ITV Studios, said drink spiking had become far more common, either because more people were becoming aware of it and trying it, or because more men had a bad approach to women. He also believed higher rates could be the result of more women reporting their drinks being spiked. In Believe Me, Grattan-Kane's team is credited with helping solve the Worboys case after previous Metropolitan police officers made mistakes and missed crucial evidence"

A senior investigating officer involved in the 2008 arrest of John Worboys said similar drug-facilitated sexual assaults could still be occurring. He linked the risk to a criminal justice system close to “exploding,” with police frustration caused by delays from an underfunded Crown Prosecution Service. He cited a lack of support workers due to financial cuts and difficulty getting trials because many courts were closed. He said there remains a real problem with men administering drugs to facilitate sexual assault, pointing to cases in France and an ongoing trial in London. He also said drink spiking has become more common, potentially due to increased awareness and reporting.

Read at www.theguardian.com