David Carrick has been protected by the police for decades. Four officers and a police staff member will undergo disciplinary proceedings due to purported inadequacies in investigating accusations against rapist Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick, as announced by a watchdog.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has recognised “numerous missed opportunities” by the Metropolitan Police to initiate misconduct investigations following four reports of severe offences against Carrick from 2002 to 2021, during his tenure as a serving officer.
The perpetrator was apprehended in October 2021 and incarcerated in February 2023, following his confession to several rapes and sexual offences involving 12 women.
He was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years and was dismissed from the Metropolitan Police after being revealed as one of the UK’s most egregious sex offenders.
After years of criminal activity, he was ultimately brought to court after one of his victims, profoundly affected by a victim impact statement delivered by Sarah Everard’s mother—who was raped and murdered by another Metropolitan police, Wayne Couzens—chose to report the assault.
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 David 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 David 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 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 David Carrick, but no criminal charge was brought after an investigation by police in Hertfordshire.
An internal investigation by the Met found insufficient evidence to prove misconduct, so David 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 David 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. It will also examine the case of serial rapist David Carrick.
This will include the extent to which any issues relating to his conduct, performance and/or behaviour, particularly concerning women, were known and raised by colleagues and investigated.
15.11.24
David Carrick has been getting away with his deviant crimes for decades, being protected by the police who stopped any potential investigation in its tracks. David Carrick is hoping that the authorities will once again protect him.
Former Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick has denied multiple sex attacks on a woman and a teenage girl.
On Thursday, the 49-year-old pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and one count of coercive and controlling behaviour in relation to the woman between 2014 and 2019.
He has also denied five counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16 between 1989 and 1990.
David Carrick appeared at the Old Bailey in London via video-link.
The trial was set to be heard at the Old Bailey on November 3 2025. A preliminary hearing was also set for March 14.
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