The Met Police are investigating 1,000 s.e.xual and domestic abuse claims involving about 800 of its officers, the commissioner has said. It comes after PC David Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 offenses, including dozens of rapes.
Sir Mark Rowley announced all 45,000 Met officers and staff would be rechecked for previously missed offending. He also apologised to Carrick’s victims for the force’s failings.
“We have failed. And I’m sorry. He should not have been a police officer,” he said. Sir Mark said: “This man abused women in the most disgusting manner. It is sickening. We’ve let women and girls down, and indeed we’ve let Londoners down. The women who suffered and survived this violence have been unimaginably brave and courageous in coming forward.
“I do understand also that this will lead to some women across London questioning whether they can trust the Met to keep them safe.
“We haven’t applied the same sense of ruthlessness to guarding our own integrity that we routinely apply to confronting criminals. Carrick, who worked for the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, committed the offences against 12 women across two decades.
The Met apologised after it emerged Carrick was brought to the attention of police over nine incidents including allegations of rape, domestic violence and harassment between 2000 and 2021.
A spokesman for the prime minister said high-profile cases such as Carrick’s had “shattered” the public’s trust in policing.
Rishi Sunak retains faith in the Met and its chief Sir Mark Rowley, the spokesman said, adding: “The commissioner has acknowledged the significant work required by the force.Baroness Casey, who is conducting a review of the force’s standards and internal culture, called on the home secretary for a full inquiry into Carrick’s case. We owe it to all of his victims that this work takes place,” she said.
She added the scope of Lady Elish Angiolini’s current non-statutory inquiry into the abduction, r@pe and murder of Sarah Everard should be extended to include the actions of Carrick.
Any inquiry into Carrick should “include the conduct of David Carrick and the potential opportunities the Met, other police forces and organisations may have had to identify his pattern of behaviour prior to October 2021, to stop him being a police officer and, ultimately, stop him offending,” she said.
The issue was “so serious”, she said, that if extending the current inquiry was not possible she would volunteer to conduct a separate inquiry. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said it was a “sobering day” for the Met and “the whole policing family throughout the country”.
“This appalling incident represents a breach of trust, it will affect people’s confidence in police and it’s clear that standards and culture need to change in policing. She said chief constables needed to follow recent guidance by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary on prioritising vetting and recruiting processes.
“I expect every chief constable to take on board those recommendations and implement them urgently,” she said.
Source: BBC
In other news – New plans to widen police powers for disruptive protests
Police could be allowed to shut down protests before they cause serious disruption, under new government plans. Downing Street said the proposals would help officers clamp down on “a disruptive minority” who use tactics like blocking roads and slow marching.
It said the changes seek to give police greater flexibility and clarity over when they can intervene. Learn more
