Victims of Met police officer David Carrick, who was sentenced to life in prison in February on 49 charges of sex attacks, including 24 counts of rape, are now suing the force over its failure to
prevent his crimes. Six women have joined forces with a lawyer, alleging that Scotland Yard breached the Human Rights Act by missing multiple opportunities to apprehend Carrick, according to
The Times.
One of the victims, known as Emma to protect her identity, has come forward to reveal the shocking abuse and manipulation she endured during her relationship with Carrick. Emma recounts being beaten with a metal whip and restrained with Carrick's police-issue handcuffs while he demanded obedience. She suffered numerous sexual assaults, losing count of the occurrences, and the physical pain resulted in a perforated bowel.
Emma had even confided in her general practitioner about the abuse, providing the officer's name and showing her bruises. However, Carrick was allowed to continue his reign of terror. Emma also highlights missed opportunities to stop him, including an incident at a Reading nightclub in 2017 where he was involved in a drunken altercation. Although police were present, there was allegedly no record of the incident logged with Scotland Yard.
When Emma bravely confronted Carrick, threatening to report his crimes to the police, he belittled her and questioned her credibility, asking who they would believe - a police officer or a "w***e." These incidents and others like them were described as missed opportunities that were brushed under the rug by the Metropolitan Police.
Representatives from the Centre for Women's Justice are now pursuing legal action against the police force, accusing Scotland Yard of breaching the Human Rights Act in their failure to apprehend Carrick. Following Carrick's conviction, the Metropolitan Police issued an apology to all his victims and expressed regret for letting down women across London.
The case against Carrick has also brought to light an alleged sex attack he committed when he was just 13 years old, potentially expanding the timeline of his horrific crimes. Detectives are currently investigating this claim.
Carrick's mother, while still expressing love for her son, has questioned his actions, wondering why he was not caught earlier. She criticized the lack of support provided by the Metropolitan Police and questioned why they would entrust him with a gun and a position of authority. Carrick's mother has not seen him for ten years and has no plans to visit him in prison.
Prior to joining the Metropolitan Police, Carrick had been involved in incidents, including an alleged burglary and theft at his ex-girlfriend's home, as well as malicious phone calls, although no action was taken against him. Despite these incidents being reported, he successfully passed the vetting process and became a police officer in August 2001. Throughout his career, there were several complaints regarding his conduct, including unnecessary use of CS spray and unprofessional behavior, but no significant action was taken.
Carrick's first known rape occurred in 2003, just two years after joining the police force. Over the years, he continued to commit heinous crimes, including rape and sexual assault, exploiting his position of power as a police officer.
The legal action taken by Carrick's victims aims to hold the Metropolitan Police accountable for their failure to prevent his actions and protect the victims. Photo by Derek Harper, Wikimedia commons.