Met Police officers to face disciplinary proceedings over investigations into serial rapist David Carrick
Serving Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick was jailed for life in February 2023 after being unmasked as one of the UK’s worst sex offenders
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Four officers and a police staff member will face disciplinary proceedings over alleged failures to investigate complaints against rapist Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick, a watchdog has announced.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has identified “several missed opportunities” by the Met Police to pursue misconduct investigations after four reports of serious offending were made against Carrick between 2002 and 2021, while he was a serving officer.
The predator was eventually arrested in October 2021 and jailed in February 2023, after he admitted dozens of rapes and sexual offences against 12 women.
He was ordered to serve a sentence of at least 30 years and was also sacked from the Met after being unmasked as one of the UK’s worst sex offenders.
He was finally brought to justice after many years of offending because one of his victims was so moved by a victim impact statement made by the mother of Sarah Everard – who was raped and murdered by another Met officer, Wayne Couzens – that she decided to report the attack.
The IOPC, which carried out four independent investigations into what actions were taken by the Met, said it had decided a detective sergeant should face a gross misconduct hearing.
It also found a further three officers and a staff member should face misconduct meetings for alleged breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour, all relating to failing to progress misconduct investigations against Carrick.
Those facing disciplinary proceedings all worked in the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) at the time.
The IOPC said that a report of assault and harassment was made against Carrick in 2002, and he was spoken to by his line manager but no referral was made to the force’s internal standards department. Two inspectors would have faced a misconduct meeting over this if they had not already retired.
In 2016 another report of assault and harassment was made, which was investigated by Hampshire Police as a potential crime. No charge was brought, but the Met’s internal standards department failed to investigate any potential misconduct.
The IOPC said two officers should face misconduct meetings, one of whom has since moved to the City of London Police.
In 2019, a report of assault was made and was investigated by Hertfordshire Constabulary, no charge was brought and again the Met’s internal standards department was told.
Two chief inspectors were told to go through a “reflective practice review process” to consider their failures to investigate Carrick for potential misconduct.
Finally, in 2021 a report of rape and sexual assault was made against Carrick, but no criminal charge was brought after an investigation by police in Hertfordshire.
An internal investigation by the Met found there was not enough evidence to prove misconduct, and so Carrick had no case to answer.
But the IOPC said a detective sergeant should face a gross misconduct hearing for allegedly failing to supervise that investigation properly, and a detective constable and a police staff member should face misconduct meetings.
IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said: “Our thoughts continue to be with all of the women who were victims of this serial predator.
“Our investigations into alleged failures to investigate reports made against David Carrick were comprehensive and identified several missed opportunities to pursue misconduct investigations against him.
“In all cases, we identified that officers failed to properly explore, investigate or oversee the misconduct investigations against Carrick, who never faced any disciplinary proceedings despite being the subject of serious criminal allegations on multiple occasions.
“Had these matters been progressed appropriately, Carrick may have potentially faced gross misconduct proceedings and been dismissed from the force well before he was eventually arrested.
“Four officers and a member of police staff will now face disciplinary proceedings, including one officer who will face a gross misconduct hearing, while two more former officers would have faced disciplinary meetings had they not retired from the force.”
An inquiry led by Lady Elish Angiolini into how a serving police officer was able to kidnap and murder Everard has been extended, and will also examine the case of serial rapist Carrick.
This will include the extent to which any issues relating to his conduct, performance and/or behaviour, particularly in relation to women, were known and raised by colleagues and investigated.