‘Sack them’: No disciplinary action against officers who let Met Police rapist off as MPs demand action

Officers who failed to properly investigate David Carrick’s crimes and allowed him to remain in the Metropolitan Police face no prospect of disciplinary action – despite mounting calls to sack them.

Carrick, who is one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders, abused and raped women for over 20 years before he was finally prosecuted.

All 49 offences, including 24 rapes, he admitted perpetrating against 12 women took place during his career in the Metropolitan Police, which let him join up in 2001 even after investigating him for harassing a former partner.

After the force admitted Carrick was known to police for at least nine incidents before his eventual prosecution, demands have been mounting for answers over why he was not previously charged or sacked.

But The Independent has been told that there are no ongoing disciplinary investigations by Scotland Yard, Hertfordshire Constabulary or the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) that could bring accountability for the officers who failed to stop him preying on women.

During a debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday, MPs from all political parties demanded action.

Veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman, the mother of the House of Commons, called for the Metropolitan Police to publish a report on why “Carrick was looked at and nothing was done”.

“It is not just about change in the future but dealing with those individuals who are currently in senior and management positions in the Met, who seemed to think it was alright for Carrick to be promoted,” she added.

“The suitability of those officers ought to be examined by the Met and we need transparency about that … they were concluding in the perpetuation of these crimes.”

Ms Harman also called for the government to change the legal regulations that govern police misconduct processes.

Despite coming to the attention of police in 2002, 2004, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021 over incidents including domestic assaults at his home, Carrick was not prosecuted and Scotland Yard repeatedly decided that he had “no case to answer” for disciplinary proceedings.

Conservative MP Tim Loughton questioned how the alarm was not raised by police officers who nicknamed Carrick “b*****d Dave” and said it was “not suitable to put officers accused of serious offenders on light duties”, rather than dismissing them.

Fellow Tory James Daly said there had been “no suggestion of accountability” for the Metropolitan Police officers who allowed Carrick to remain a threat to women and girls, adding: “They should be sacked.”

The home secretary announced a review of the police disciplinary process, which will consider public calls made by commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to give more power to chief constables to govern who serves in their forces.

Suella Braverman told MPs: “I want to make sure we have a fair and effective system of removing those officers who are simply not fit to serve.”

She said the review would look at the role of legally qualified chairs, who preside over some misconduct hearings, and “empower chief constables to make decisions”.

Ms Braverman said the Carrick case would also be looked at as part of the ongoing inquiry into police vetting and wider issues by Lady Elish Angiolini, which was started after the 2021 murder of Sarah Everard.

Home Affairs Committee chair Dame Diana Johnson said other inquiries and reviews had already gathered evidence of inaction on police officers who abuse women, telling the home secretary: “We don’t need another review, we just need action.”

Ms Braverman said she had confidence in the Metropolitan Police commissioner to bring change, saying he had “not hesitated in accepting the enormity of the problem” and was making urgent reform.

Xural.com