LONDON –
A London police officer on Monday admitted to raping and sexually assaulting a dozen women over a 17-year period, in what prosecutors described as one of the most shocking cases involving a serving police officer.
David Carrick, 48, pleaded guilty to 49 offences, including 20 counts of rape and charges including assault, attempted rape and false imprisonment. The officer, who joined London’s Metropolitan Police in 2001, has served in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.
The police department apologized to the victims after it was revealed that nine charges of rape and other crimes were filed against Carrick between 2000 and 2021. He was not suspended from the police force until his arrest for a rape complaint in 2021.
Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said the case was “devastating” and apologized for not removing Carrick from the police earlier.
“It has had a devastating impact on the confidence and self-esteem of the women and girls we work so hard to win. He devastated colleagues,” Gray said in a statement.
“He used the fact that he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims,” she added. “We should have noticed his pattern of abusive behavior, and when we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organization.”
Police said Carrick met some of the women through online dating sites or at social events, using his position as a police officer to gain their trust.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “absolutely disgusted and appalled” by the revelations.
“Londoners will rightly be shocked that this man has been able to work for the Met for so long and serious questions must be asked about how he was able to abuse his position as an officer in this appalling way,” Khan said.
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