Serial Rapist Was London Cop, Admits To 24 Counts Of Rape

A British police officer who admitted to being a serial rapist has been officially fired. (Represent)

London:

A British police officer admitted to being a serial rapist was officially sacked on Tuesday, as the government called on forces across the country to crack down on crime and corruption within their ranks.

The fact that David Carrick pleaded guilty to 24 counts of raping 12 women and a series of other sex crimes over two decades has caused a widespread shock, eroding public trust in the police.

It also puts pressure on his force, the Metropolitan Police in London, which is reeling from the kidnapping, rape and murder of a young woman by another of their officers two years ago.

The day after Carrick was hospitalized, Assistant Met Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said his case was “sick and terrible” and had “far-reaching consequences” for police.

“I really hope to never see something like that again,” she said during an internal disciplinary hearing.

Carrick, 48, has been suspended from his job in the armed unit protecting foreign MPs and diplomats since the charges came to light in late 2021.

Hearings on police misconduct are usually held after the conclusion of criminal proceedings against an officer.

But Carrick was quickly followed after he pleaded guilty and, unusually, opened the door to the media due to his unprecedented criminal nature.

Attorney Hywel Jenkins, representing Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley, called Carrick’s crimes “heinous, targeted and intentional”.

He added that they had had a “catastrophic” impact on victims and their families, and undermined confidence in the police force.

Ms Rolfe said: “The public in Greater London expects police officers to follow the law and protect women from violence.

“PC (police police officer) Carrick did the opposite.”

Carrick, a military veteran who did not attend the hearing and had no legal representation, was fired for serious misconduct.

He will be sentenced in court in two days from February 6.

Public trust

Public trust in the Met has been convicted by Wayne Couzens, who serves in the same unit as Carrick, of killing Sarah Everard as she walked home in south London in March 2021.

Couzens, who is serving a life sentence, perjured that she broke coronavirus lockdown rules to rob her off the street.

But in both cases, police checks that could have previously determined their offense were flawed.

No action has been taken against Couzens over allegations in 2015 that he exposed himself or Carrick, who had a series of claims against him.

Two official reports on the Met and other forces in England and Wales concluded that background checks were lax and there was a culture of impunity.

Since becoming Britain’s highest-ranking police officer last September, Rowley has pledged to “deal with the racists and women who undermine us”.

That has led to a wave of disciplinary action against officials, and in some cases, possible criminal proceedings for misconduct in public office.

More than 1,600 sex crime and domestic violence complaints against more than 1,000 Met Police officers and employees are currently being reviewed.

Interior Secretary Suella Braverman, whose brief includes policing, called Carrick’s crimes “a dark day for policing and the Metropolitan Police”.

She told MPs: “For anyone who has been through such torment it is heartbreaking but having it happen at the hands of someone they are tasked with keeping people safe is very close. as incomprehensible.

She said how to remove crime from the police force was the subject of a government-commissioned review.

Ms Braverman met Ms Rowley on Monday and said she was “encouraged” by the action the Met has taken so far to root out corrupt officers unfit to serve, in order to restore trust of the public.

But she said it was important for the Met and other forces to redouble their efforts. “This could mean more shocking cases coming to light shortly,” she added.

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