All of the trigger warnings you know about and then some you don’t. I won’t detail what Carrick did. I didn't sleep on Sunday night as I knew what Monday was bringing, not the detail but that serving offiver David Carrick was pleading guilty to all counts of rape, assault and imprisonment and more.
Not since Couzen's sentencing has there been such a horrifc story of police abuse. A woman came forward in July of 2021 because of Couzen's being in the same unit and accused David Carrick of rape and they did not even suspend him. Who did they both report to? No one is being made to take accountability for 18 years of women being abused by him whilst he was an officer and used that position to seduce and abuse partners.
I will post some of the interviews I have given about the Metropolitan Police enabling their employees to abuse women with impunity. Rolling out a senior female asst commissioner to apologise for a serial rapist is directly from Cressida Dick's playbook.
We continue to call for the statutory inquiry that we have supported from Centre for Women's Justice since last year. Priti Patel refused when she was Home Secretary and is now supporting it when she doesn’t have to back it up with action. They fought CWJ’s Judicial Review that Pippa Woodrow, one of our barristers, worked on for ages. I support and applaud The Baroness Casey of Blackstock DBE CB. Her horrific report of the misogyny in the internal processes in the Met barely got three hours of airtime. It was one of the worst things I’ve ever read. It talks of horrific abuse for female officers let alone women married to abusive officers.
This is how actual female officers were treated. Colleagues. State sanctioned sexual abuse.
There needs to be a zero tolerance policy for officers accused of violence against women. Their access to and power over vulnerable women needs to be stopped immediately until an investigation takes place. This is not innocent until proven otherwise, by accepting the great power and responsibility of this role, there need to be checks and balances that have not ever been established on the Metropolitan Police Force.
There needs a clear and swift route to removing officers that commit domestic violence or violence against women including coercive control. Currently Sir Mark Rowley points to his inability to remove criminal, racist and sexist officvers as an excuse. He launched a hotline to root out criminal and corrupt officers but then says he can't sack them. Braverman calling for this to change is the first thing I have ever agreed with her on.
Only one in ten officers found guilty of gross misconduct lose their jobs. Most stay and are slapped on the wrist or not able to be promoted for a few years. If they are one of the ten struck off- they are usually allowed to retire or retire on medical leave with full pensions and anonymity for "Their welfare." What about mine?
If you or I were found guilty of gross misconduct, we would lose our jobs. Carrick's multiple accusations over 18 years- never even resulted in a misconduct charge. He passed a second vetting. He was nicknamed Bastard Dave--- but because he was a "cruel and sadistic bastard" but not about women. Do we want cruel and sadistic police?
Anonymity for these men needs to end now. No option at all. When they become officers they should be held to a higher standard, not a lesser one. They are being drawn to the power not the public service and women are paying the price.
Currently--- what are the penalties for officers that commit domestic violence? Unless the victim goes through huge hurdles for criminal prosecution that takes years, almost none. CWJ has done nationwide work on DV survivors of police relationships. One of the immediate and obvious changes needs to be that women aren’t reporting to their husband or partner’s stations of employment.
Whistleblowers in the police must be protected. Currently they are often stripped of their jobs, charged with bogus crimes and often lose their children. The stated protections aren’t worth the two minute press conference to announce them.
What woman would be a police officer in these conditions? And this is not just a problem in the Met. Recently in Dorset an officer of 25 years was struck off for three simultaneous relationships with trainees during Covid. Three promising young female officers were victimised by this man, and he was allowed to retire and keep anonymity. Even worse, he is now touting his police force experience to sell leadership and management training on LinkedIn and none of the women that sign up with have any idea that he is a sexual predator.
The cost of recruiting those young women, their trauma, the other women he encountered over the 25 years and the women he will “train”. Who is protecting them? Why aren’t we a priority?
Mark Rowley said he is optimistic and London is fantastically safe in the last two weeks. For him? Absolutely. For his officers? Indeed.
People are saying it is unbelievable this happened and was permitted for 20 years, it is not only believable, it is by design. We are not meant to question the institution and men in charge. How dare we? Who do we think we are?
Well, I am out of the ability to give the benefit of the doubt. I was asked what I would say to Mark Rowley- well I would start with “nice to meet you” as he has made no overture to meet me or any of the women in Reclaim These Streets. If he really wanted the change he pretends to, why is he so scared to admit what was spent on the case against us? Why has he not welcomed his biggest critics in? What is he scared of?
His speech last week talked about using data to track the biggest predators. The maths didn’t add up and according to Casey’s report, the Met doesn’t track or link serial offenders on the force. Literal predators. If you cannot sort your own work force why should any of us believe you will do better with the general public. You knew this was coming. I was told it was coming, but instead of any actual measures, it is more of the same bullshit apologies.
Sir Rowley has given his word about reform. Sorry Mark, that is word is worth nothing to me. And I doubt it is worth anything to Carrick’s victims or the women in London that your force was meant to protect and serve.
No accountability, no real explanations, no reform.
Do better. Or step aside.