UK police officer pleads guilty to multiple sexual offences — including 24 counts of rape

David Carrick, an officer with the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police, has admitted to committing dozens of sexual offences — including rape.

The Metropolitan Police announced the development in a statement on Monday.

While condemning the officer’s conduct, the police said he has been remanded in custody.  

“The Met today condemns the appalling criminal actions of a serving officer after he pleaded guilty to multiple rapes and other serious sexual offences,” the statement reads. 

“David Carrick appeared at Southwark Crown Court today (Monday, 16 January) and entered guilty pleas to false imprisonment, indecent assault and four counts of rape. 

“At a previous hearing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 13 December he pleaded guilty to 43 offences including 20 counts of rape, and further counts of controlling and coercive behaviour and sexual assault.

“He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a hearing to take place at Southwark Crown Court beginning on Monday, 6 February.”

Mark Rowley, the police commissioner, apologised to Carrick’s victims, adding that the force failed in its responsibility to protect the public. 

“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,” he said.

“The women who suffered and survived this violence have been unimaginably brave and courageous in coming forward. And 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 have failed. And I’m sorry. He should not have been a police officer. We haven’t applied the same sense of ruthlessness to guarding our own integrity that we routinely apply to confronting criminals.

“We failed in two respects. We failed as investigators where we should have been more intrusive and joined the dots on this repeated misogyny over a couple of decades.

“And as leaders, our mindset should have been more determined to root out such a misogynist. These failures are horrific examples of the systemic failures that concern me and were highlighted by Baroness Casey in her recent review. 

“I do know an apology doesn’t go far enough, but I do think it’s important to acknowledge our failings and for me to say I’m sorry. I apologise to all of David Carrick’s victims. And I also want to say sorry to all of the women across London who feel we’ve let them down.”

Speaking through his spokesperson, Rishi Sunak, UK prime minister, said it is “an appalling case” and that his  “thoughts are with all of [Carrick’s] victims”.

“There is no place in our police forces for officers who fall so seriously short of the acceptable standards of behaviour and are not fit to wear the uniform,” he said.

Carrick was said to have committed the offences over a span of more than 15 years, but his actions came to to a halt when he was reported by one of his victims in October 2021.