Shame of the Met: Demand for answers from police force as officer revealed as one of UK’s worst serial rapists
The Metropolitan Police is facing demands for answers after one of its officers was revealed to be among Britain’s worst serial rapists.
David Carrick admitted committing 49 charges, totalling 71 sexual offences with 24 rapes, against 12 women. The crimes happened between 2003 and 2020 after he was left free to abuse victims for two decades despite the alarm being raised several times.
All the crimes, which included patterns of sadistic and degrading abuse, were committed while he was a serving officer in Britain’s largest police force.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “sickened and appalled” by the case, adding: “Londoners will be rightly shocked that this man was able to work for the Met for so long and serious questions must be answered about how he was able to abuse his position as an officer in this horrendous manner.”
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised to Carrick’s victims and vowed to reform the Met Police “at speed”, admitting: “We have failed and I’m sorry. He should not have been a police officer.”
After Carrick pleaded guilty, Scotland Yard revealed that more than 1,000 serving officers and staff were subject to past allegations of sex offences and domestic abuse – but warned that most would stay in post.
The force launched a review of cases that did not result in criminal prosecution or dismissals, codenamed Operation Onyx, after discovering Carrick had been allowed to remain in uniform even after the Met was alerted to reports of rape and domestic abuse.
It has so far uncovered 1,633 cases, involving 1,071 officers and staff, but Scotland Yard said being flagged by the probe was “not in itself a finding of wrongdoing or sufficient reason to remove an officer from frontline duties”.
“It is therefore likely that the majority of officers whose involvement in past incidents is being reviewed will not automatically be subject to restrictions,” a spokesperson added.
“There are already a number who are subject to risk management measures and this process is to confirm that these measures are sufficient.
“In the event that information was to emerge from a review that raised concerns then an officer or member of staff’s status would be reconsidered without delay.”
It comes as Suella Braverman prepares to announce a review of police disciplinary processes, which will ultimately aim to make it easier to sack officers for wrongdoing and misconduct.
“It’s clear the standards and culture need to change in policing,” the home secretary said on Monday.
“That’s why I’m driving forward changes to support the police and chief constables around the country in doing so.”
Sir Mark has called for changes to give chief constables more discretion over who serves in their forces, blaming a multi-stage process for hampering the dismissal of unsuitable officers.
But any such changes are unlikely to have affected Carrick, who was left in the Met for 20 years because the force repeatedly decided that he had “no case to answer” for disciplinary proceedings when it was alerted to incidents of rape, harassment and domestic abuse.
In an article for The Independent, the London victims’ commissioner Claire Waxman called the case “another dark day for victims and the wider public”, warning that it would “undoubtedly impact the confidence of victims, especially of women, reporting to the police”.
Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal said authorities must “seize this tragic moment to restore public confidence” by conducting a full judicial inquiry.
Carrick technically remains a Metropolitan Police officer because forces cannot start misconduct hearings when criminal trials are underway, but is expected to be formally dismissed on Tuesday.
Sir Mark Rowley said Carrick should not have been a police officer and his force ‘failed’ (PA)
