David Carrick, who worked for the Metropolitan Police, waged “a relentless campaign” of violence for over 17 years, prosecutors said, using his position of authority to manipulate victims.
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A London police officer has pleaded guilty to abuse, including rape and sexual assault, against 12 women over nearly two decades in a harrowing case that has intensified investigations into misogyny and sexism in the British capital’s police force.
Officer David Carrick, 48, whose work included parliamentary and diplomatic protective duties, admitted to 49 charges covering more than 70 counts of serious sex offenses, according to prosecutors and police. He admitted most of the charges at a previous hearing, but pleaded guilty to several other charges, including rape and assault, in a London court on Monday.
Given the number of crimes and the length of time they spanned — a 17-year period beginning in 2003 — prosecutors called it one of the most significant such cases ever brought before them, describing the seriousness of the crimes as “a relentless campaign of sexual… and mentally abusing women.”
Some of Mr. Carrick’s victims, prosecutors said, had a relationship with him and were systematically isolated from friends and family by him before attacking them; others were women he had met socially but didn’t know that well, and he used his job as a police officer to charm them and gain their trust.
He called women his “slaves”, according to British news reports, forcing them to change their routines and controlling who they talked to, what they wore and what they ate. One woman said he locked her in a small closet, which detectives described as no larger than a dog crate.
Mr Carrick was arrested in October 2021 after a woman reported to Hertfordshire police that he had raped her. The victim decided not to pursue the allegation, but news of his arrest prompted 12 other women – 13 in total – to bring allegations against the officer. Prosecutors said they accepted his not-guilty plea in relation to one of the women, but Mr Carrick admitted to 24 counts of rape, nine counts of sexual assault and false imprisonment, among other charges.
The Carrick case came amid a crisis of confidence in law enforcement in the UK. Anger had been growing after several high-profile crimes brought a spotlight on the culture and standards of London’s police force, the Metropolitan Police. These included the killing of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, by another London police officer in March 2021. Following an investigation by the Independent Police Inspectorate, a report published in February 2022 described a “shameful” culture of bullying. Discrimination and sexual harassment within the force.
The Metropolitan Police apologized to Mr Carrick’s victims on Monday, calling the officer “a prolific serial sex offender” who had used his position of authority to control women.
“We should have recognized his pattern of abusive behavior and by not doing so we missed opportunities to remove him from the organization,” Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Barbara Gray said in a statement Monday. “We are truly sorry that Carrick was able to continue to use his role as a police officer to prolong the suffering of his victims.”
A review of Mr Carrick’s records following his arrest in 2021 had revealed he was involved in a number of incidents, both before and during his time as a police officer, including allegations of harassment and assault, none of which resulted in criminal charges.
Still, he successfully passed screening in 2001 and 2017, and would have been allowed to return to the force after the 2021 allegation was dropped had no other women come forward. The verification process is more robust today, police said. “We are confident that anyone applying to the Met today with the same history would not be granted review approval.”
The force added that, among other things, it has assembled a team of 50 investigators to review allegations of sex crimes or domestic violence made against current police officers and staff.
“The issue of consent was fundamental to this case,” Shilpa Shah, a senior prosecutor, said in Monday’s statement, adding that Mr Carrick had claimed in interviews with police that the acts were consensual or not at all happen.
Testimonies from Mr Carrick’s victims ultimately provided the crucial evidence, Ms Shah said, praising her for her “tremendous courage”.
Women’s rights groups condemned the case as a disturbing example of a culture of impunity in an agency that should have upheld the highest standards, but instead encouraged Mr Carrick to use his status to abuse women.
“This is an institution in crisis,” Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said in a statement, calling it a “bleak day for women’s trust in policing.”
“This isn’t just about individual ‘bad apples,'” she added. “It’s about police leaders taking responsibility for changing a culture that normalizes and condones misogyny and racism and allows officers to abuse their power with impunity.”
Although awareness of violence against women has increased in recent years, experts said authorities need to take systematic action to combat misogyny.
“We need a massive overhaul of the laws and policies related to sexual violence against women,” said Jessica Ringrose, professor of sociology at University College London and an expert on gender and sexual equality.
Mr. Carrick will be sentenced next month.
He joined the Metropolitan Police in 2001 and began his career as a response officer in London. He later moved to a unit responsible for protecting Parliament, foreign embassies and government ministers.
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