48-year-old ex-police officer admits raping 24 women; London police apologise to victims

In what may appear to be one of the most shocking cases, a London police official on Monday admitted raping and sexually assaulting a dozen women over a 17-year period.

The accused, David Carrick, was found guilty of at least 49 offenses, including 24 counts of rape and charges that included assault, attempted rape, and false imprisonment.

The 48-year-old had joined London’s Metropolitan Police force in 2001 and served with the parliamentary and diplomatic protection commands.

London police officer admits to dozens of offenses against women, to be sentenced next month

After the revelation of a series of crimes done by Carrick, the Metropolitan Police Department apologised to the victims. Between 2000 and 2021, as many as nine allegations of rape and other crimes were made against Carrick, and he was only suspended from the force after his arrest for a rape complaint in 2021. Calling the case "devastating" Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray apologised to the victims and the public for not taking strict measures against Carrick.

"He has had a devastating impact on the trust and confidence of women and girls that we are working so hard to earn. "He has devastated colleagues," Gray said in a statement.

"He used the fact he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims," she added. "We should have spotted his pattern of abusive behavior, and because we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organization."

Police authorities revealed that the accused grew acquaintances with some of the women through online dating sites or on social occasions, and by using his position as an officer, he gained their trust. The victims did not complain against him as Carrick told them that they would not be believed, Gray said. 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "absolutely sickened and appalled" by the revelations. "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," Khan said. The court is expected to sentence Carrick next month.

Image: AP