A Metropolitan Police officer who admitted to being a serial rapist has been dismissed from the force following a misconduct hearing.
David Carrick was found to be one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders after he pleaded guilty to dozens of rapes and sexual offences.
The 48-year-old attacked at least 12 women over an 18-year period throughout his career at the Met.
He was only suspended after being arrested following a second rape complaint in October 2021.
The force has apologised to victims after it emerged Carrick had come to the attention of police over nine incidents including allegations of rape, domestic violence and harassment between 2000 and 2021.
Carrick, who the day before pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to 49 attacks on women, including 24 rapes, wasn’t there and was not represented by a lawyer.
Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe ruled that his admissions amounted to gross misconduct and sacked him. She was told Carrick had not responded to the misconduct allegation.
She said: “This is a sickening and horrific case with far-reaching consequences for policing. I hope never to see its like again.”
Metropolitan Police lawyer Hywel Bennet said Carrick’s crimes had “a catastrophic effect on his victims and their families”, and would damage the reputation of the force.
He added: “His offences were heinous, targeted and deliberate. Policing has taken a step backwards as a result of these convictions.”
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Read more:
Timeline of Met Police’s missed opportunities to stop serial rapist
Carrick, a former soldier, joined the Met in 200, and later worked in the diplomatic protection unit guarding parliament and foreign embassies.
For much of his time in uniform he was abusing, harassing and raping vulnerable women. There were twelve victims over 17 years.
Carrick, 48, used his professional status to control them, telling them: “I’m a police officer, you will be safe with me.”
He also warned them if they reported his behaviour, no-one would believe them.
He locked victims in a small cupboard, made some clean the house naked and urinated on others. Some victims did alert police, but later refused to go ahead with their complaints and no action was taken. The Metropolitan police admitted this week it was warned about his behaviour, but did nothing to stop him.
He was finally suspended in 2021 after a woman made a rape complaint and his pay was stopped last month when he admitted the bulk of the charges against him. The others he denied until Monday this week.
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The Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said after Carrick’s guilty pleas: “We have failed. And I’m sorry. He should not have been a police officer. 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.”
Earlier, Sir Mark said the employment of Carrick was a “spectacular failure” by his force.
He told the Radio 4 Today programme: “You can’t say anything else – it absolutely is.
“I have been crystal clear from coming into post … that one of the top planks of my responsibilities is to rebuild our integrity, and part of that is to take on those who corrupt our integrity – people like David Carrick and, frankly, many others.
“We have been too weak on this, systematically, for some time.”
Carrick, who faces life in prison, will be sentenced in three weeks.
