But what made this case particularly troubling was the fact that the Met proceeded to take the women – two victims of horrific sexual violence – to court. In 2014, the High Court ruled that DSD and NBV should be paid £41,250 under article 3 of the Human Rights Act, which relates to “inhuman and degrading treatment”.

The Met, however, argued that it should not have to pay the women a penny and lodged a string of appeals, ultimately culminating in this week’s showdown at the Supreme Court. The force said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court case was necessary to provide “clarity on the boundaries of police responsibility”, but human rights groups and women’s charities disagree.

“Having already let these women down in the most horrific way, the Met could have accepted the High Court’s ruling four years ago,” Martha Spurrier, the director of Liberty, told the BBC after the Supreme Court’s decision. “Instead, they used taxpayers’ money to drag them all the way to the highest court in the land.”

“The John Worboys ruling will force police to take rape survivors seriously”