London Police Officer Admits 24 Rapes

A serving officer in London's Metropolitan Police is guilty of so many crimes, including 24 counts of rape, that he ranks among Britain's worst sex offenders—and authorities said more victims could still come forward. David Carrick has pleaded guilty to more than 80 offenses covered in 49 charges, the Times of London reports. The charges involved attacks on a dozen women over 17 years. Prosecutors say the 48-year-old used his position as a police officer to convince women they would be safe with him—and then to pressure them to stay silent about his attacks, saying nobody would take their word over his, reports the Guardian. Strict reporting restrictions in the UK were lifted after Carrick pleaded guilty to the final charges Monday.

Carrick was able to join the force in 2001 despite having been reported for domestic violence and burglary, the Telegraph reports. He was allowed to keep working despite numerous complaints over the years, including allegations of rape and domestic abuse. The women attacked ended up either refusing to cooperate or withdrawing the allegations, the Guardian notes. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "absolutely sickened and appalled," the AP reports. "Londoners will be rightly shocked that this man was able to work for the Met for so long, and serious questions must be answered about how he was able to abuse his position as an officer in this horrendous manner."

Other charges against Carrick included false imprisonment and assault. Investigators say Carrick locked one woman in a small cupboard for 10 hours. "Whilst he was not a man that stalked the streets scouting for victims, he invested time in developing relationships with women to sustain his appetite for degradation and control," said Detective Chief Inspector Iain Moor of the Bedfordshire Police. Carrick, who served in a select armed unit that guarded embassies and the Houses of Parliament, wasn't suspended until a rape complaint was filed in late 2021. The Metropolitan Police says the process of firing him will start Tuesday. Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray apologized to the public Monday, saying Carrick should never have been allowed to become a police officer, the BBC reports. (More London Metropolitan Police stories.)