Officers face disciplinaries over Carrick investigation

Four officers and a police staff member will face disciplinary proceedings over alleged failures to investigate complaints against rapist Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick, a watchdog has announced.

- AMY-CLARE MARTIN

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has identified “several missed opportunities” by the Met Police to pursue misconduct investigations after four reports of serious offending were made against Carrick between 2002 and 2021, while he was a serving officer.

The predator was eventually arrested in October 2021 and jailed in February 2023, after he admitted dozens of rapes and sexual offences against 12 women. He was ordered to serve a sentence of at least 30 years and was also sacked from the Met after being unmasked as one of the UK’s worst sex offenders.

Carrick was finally brought to justice after many years of offending because one of his victims was so moved by a victim impact statement made by the mother of Sarah Everard – who was raped and murdered by another Met officer, Wayne Couzens – that she decided to report the attack.

The IOPC, which carried out four independent investigations into what actions were taken by the Met, said it had decided a detective sergeant should face a gross misconduct hearing.