A London police officer has pleaded guilty to abuse, including rape and sexual assault, against 12 women over nearly two decades, in a heartbreaking case that sent the British capital’s police force beefed up. surveillance for stigmatization and sexism.
Officer David Carrick, 48, whose job includes congressional and diplomatic protection duties, admitted 49 charges including more than 70 cases of serious sex offences, according to prosecutors and police close. He admitted most of the charges at a previous hearing, but he pleaded guilty in a London court to several other charges on Monday, related to rape and assault.
Given the number of crimes and how long they lasted — a 17-year period starting in 2003 — prosecutors called it one of the most important cases ever brought, describing the severity of the crime. of the offences is “a relentless campaign of sexual and mental abuse. women.”
Prosecutors said some of Carrick’s victims had ties to him and were systematically isolated by him from friends and family before he assaulted them; the others were women he had met informally but didn’t know very well, and he used his job as a police officer to seduce them and win their trust .
He calls women his “slaves”. according to British news reports, forcing them to change their habits and control who they talk to, what they wear, and what they eat. One woman said he locked her in a small closet that detectives described as no bigger than a dog kennel.
Mr Carrick was arrested in October 2021, after a woman reported to police in Hertfordshire that he had raped her. The victim decided not to continue with the charges, but news of his arrest prompted 12 other women – 13 in total – to come forward to denounce the police. Prosecutors said they accepted his innocence of the charges involving one of the women, but he admitted 24 counts of rape, 9 counts of sexual assault and wrongful imprisonment, among other crimes.
The Carrick case comes amid a crisis of confidence in law enforcement in the UK. Anger has grown after a number of well-known crimes have pushed the culture and standards of London’s force, the Metropolitan Police, into the spotlight. Surname including the killing of Sarah Everarda 33-year-old marketing executive, by another London police officer in March 2021. Following an independent police watchdog investigation, a report released in February 2022 described a “disgraceful” culture of bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment within the force.
Metropolitan Police on Monday sorry to the victims of Mr. Carrickcalled the officer “a prolific, serial sex offender” who used his powers to control women.
“We should have discovered the pattern of his abusive behavior, and because we didn’t, we missed the opportunity to remove him from the organization,” said Barbara Gray, assistant commissioner. officer of the Metropolitan Police, said in a statement Monday. “We are truly sorry that Carrick was able to continue using his police role to prolong the suffering of the victims.”
A review of Mr Carrick’s records following his arrest in 2021 revealed that he was involved in a number of incidents both before and during his time as a police officer, including allegations of harassment and assault. which leads to criminal charges.
However, he successfully passed the test in 2001 and 2017, and will be allowed to return to the force after the 2021 charge is dropped if other women do not come forward. The screening process is more robust today, police said. “We are confident that someone applying to the Met today with the same pre-employment history will not receive a test permit.”
The force added that it has formed a team of 50 investigators, among other actions, to look into allegations of sex crimes or domestic abuse against officers and staff. current police.
“The issue of consent is fundamental to this case,” Shilpa Shah, a senior prosecutor, said in Monday’s statement, adding that Mr. This was consensual or did not occur at all in interviews with police.
Ms Shah said the testimony of Mr Carrick’s victims ultimately provided vital evidence, and commended them for their “great courage”.
Women’s rights groups denounced the incident as a disturbing example of a culture of impunity in an authority that should be held to the highest standards but encouraged him instead. Carrick used his position to abuse women.
“This is an organization in crisis,” Andrea Simon, director of the Coalition to End Violence Against Women, said in a statement, calling it “a bleak day for women’s convictions.” and trust in the police.”
She added: “This is not just about individual ‘bad apples’. “It is about police leaders taking the responsibility of transforming a culture that normalizes and tolerates misogyny and racism, while allowing officers to abuse their power. them without punishment.”
Although awareness of violence against women has increased in recent years, experts say the authorities need to act systematically to tackle disregard for women.
Jessica Ringrose, professor of sociology at University College London and an expert on gender equality and sexuality, said: “We need to rethink the entire spectrum of laws and policies related to sexual violence. for women.
Mr. Carrick will be sentenced next month.
He joined the Metropolitan Police in 2001 and began his career as a response officer in London. Later, he moved to a unit responsible for protecting Parliament House, foreign embassies and government ministers.
