Serial rapist sacked from London police force
A British police officer who admitted being a serial rapist was formally sacked on Tuesday, as the government called on forces across the country to root out the criminal and corrupt in their ranks. David Carrick's guilty plea to 24 counts of rape against 12 women and a string of other sex offences over two decades has caused widespread shock, undermining public faith in the police. It has also piled pressure on his force, the Metropolitan Police in London, that is already reeling from the kidnap, rape and murder of a young women by another of its officers two years ago. A day after Carrick's admission, Met Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said his case was "sickening and horrific" and had "far-reaching consequences" for policing. "I truly hope to never see its like again," she told an internal disciplinary hearing. Carrick, 48, had been suspended from his job in an armed unit protecting MPs and foreign diplomats since the allegations came to light in late 2021. Police misconduct hearings are typically held after the conclusion of criminal proceedings against an officer. But Carrick's was fast-tracked after his guilty pleas and, unusually, opened to the media given the unprecedented nature of his crimes. Lawyer Hywel Jenkins, representing Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley, called Carrick's crimes "heinous, targeted and deliberate." They have had a "catastrophic" impact on his victims and their families, while also undermining confidence in the police service, he added. "The public of Greater London expect police officers to uphold the law and protect women from violence," said Rolfe. "PC (police constable) Carrick did the opposite." Carrick, a former soldier who did not attend the hearing and had no legal representation, was sacked for gross misconduct. He will be sentenced in court over two days from February 6. Public trust in the Met had already suffered from the conviction of Wayne Couzens, who served in the same unit as Carrick, for killing Sarah Everard as she walked home in south London in March 2021. (AFP)