The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has reported that a member of police staff and four Metropolitan Police officers are to face disciplinary proceedings for their role in dealing with allegations against David Carrick, a former police officer and serial rapist. Carrick, who committed at least 49 rapes and sexual offences against 12 women, was jailed in February 2023 for a minimum of 30 years. The Mitchell Inquiry into the case has identified multiple “missed opportunities” associated with officers’ failure to pursue misconduct investigations against Carrick. Had action been taken, there is a potential that he may have faced gross misconduct proceedings and been dismissed long before his arrest.
In July 2023, the IOPC announced that it was launching four independent investigations into the actions taken by the Metropolitan Police in response to four reports made by former partners, detailing serious offending by Carrick between 2002 and 2021. The reports included two of assault and harassment, one of assault, and one of rape and sexual assault, with either no further action taken or apporpriate action was not taken against Carrick or reported to the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS). The IOPC report into the case found that a detective sergeant breached standards of professional behaviour by allegedly failing to adequately supervise the conduct investigation against Carrick, while a detective constable and a police staff member should face misconduct meetings.
All those to be investigated were working in the Met’s DPS at the time. The Metropolitan Police and City of London Police, where one of the officers is now based, will be responsible for arranging disciplinary proceedings. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Carrick had lost his state-funded pension. Carrick was a police officer from 2001 and became an armed officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Unit in 2009. In total, he was convicted of 49 offences, including 24 rapes, which occurred between 2003 and 2020.
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