Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, admitted the force had “failed” after David Carrick, a serving officer, pleaded guilty to dozens of rape and sexual offences against at least 13 women.
Sir Mark said: “All I can say is I’m sorry. I’m sorry that we have let you down.”
He told Sky News: “Not only have we let down the women in this case, the survivors who have courageously come forward, but I completely recognise that’s going to be the reaction of women across London and indeed more widely.
“You have my absolute word that we are going to be ruthless about sorting this out, about getting these people out the way and creating an organisation that’s better at dealing with the plague of sexual violence that we are seeing across the country.”
"I'm sorry."
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 16, 2023
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley reacts after a Met Police Officer pleaded guilty to multiple sex offence charges, including 24 counts of rape.
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Carrick, 48, committed dozens of depraved attacks on at least 13 women in Hertfordshire and London between 2003 and 2020, despite being employed as an armed officer responsible for protecting Parliament, government offices and other high-profile locations.
He used his position as a police officer to gain the trust of his victims, sometimes flashing his warrant card and telling them they would be “safe” with him.
After attacking them, Carrick would say they would never be believed because he was a policeman and it would be his word against theirs.
Scotland Yard bosses have apologised to his victims after admitting missing numerous opportunities to prevent his offending and failing to act on repeated complaints about his behaviour.
Sir Mark said: “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.
“The women who suffered and survived this violence have been unimaginably brave and courageous in coming forward. 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. I also want to say sorry to all of the women across London who feel we've let them down.”
