The metropolitan police Chief praises an officer for her “incredible bravery” after reporting how she had been raped by David Carrik twenty years ago, but did not come forward because the ‘culture’ in the force made her fear that she ‘would not be believed’.
The officer, who is referred to as Michelle to protect her identity, claims that Carrick assaulted her at his home in 2004, but she did not come forward until 2021 after he was charged with another rape.
Carrick, 48, was exposed as one of Britain’s most prolific rapists last week after admitting 49 charges against a dozen women, including 24 counts of rape, while serving on the force between 2003 and 2020.
Michelle, talking to The times of the trauma she suffered, said she eventually came forward because “I thought I owed it to the victims.”
A Met police officer, dubbed Michelle to protect her identity, claims David Carrick (pictured) assaulted her at his home in 2004, but she didn’t come forward until 2021 after he was accused of another rape
Speaking to Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, MailOnline told MailOnline that Michelle has “shown incredible courage” and “I fully support her decision to share her experience and speak out boldly about the abuse she endured”
Speaking to Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, MailOnline told the MailOnline that Michelle “has shown incredible courage.”
“I fully support her decision to share her experience and speak out courageously about the abuse she endured,” he said.
“We know that many victims and survivors of sexual violence and abuse suffer in silence.
“We are determined not only to root out those who corrupt the Met, but to do everything we can to ensure that women, both those who work at the Met and Londoners, have more confidence to report domestic and sexual abuse. – and to know when they come forward, action is taken.’
Michelle said Carrick, who was in her 20s at the time of her alleged rape, was a “womanizer” who “pushed a woman on the anus as they walked by” or gave women “kisses.”
She did note, however, that ‘quite a few male police officers did that’.
Michelle told the newspaper she was initially “flattered” when Carrick started flirting with her, but soon noticed his controlling behaviour.
She said he would keep an eye on what she was doing and who she was hanging out with, as well as close arms with her to “maybe signal to people that she’s mine.”
Michelle said that Carrick would flirt with many women but would not allow her to do the same. She said she was “exclusive to him,” but the pair never mentioned their relationship.
One night, after the pair finished a long shift, Carrick allegedly invited Michelle back to his London home and raped her.
“It wasn’t violent, but it was forced,” Michelle told The Times. “I’ve said ‘no’ countless times, but it was a ‘yes’ to him.”
Michelle said Carrick, (pictured) who was in her 20s at the time of her alleged rape, was a “womanizer” who “hit a woman on the a**e as they walked by” or “threw kisses” at women
Michelle felt that if she had spoken out about the incident at the time, “it probably would have ruined my career.” She said Met Police was “very male-dominated” and that “women were not encouraged to speak out about officer misconduct”
After the alleged assault, the pair had to work together for two weeks – what Michelle described as “difficult” – before returning to their roles at police stations “in opposite parts of London.”
Michelle took steps to ensure she was never alone with Carrick and refused to acknowledge his presence. She claims he also ignored her and after they returned to their respective posts, she “never saw him in person again.”
The next time Michelle saw Carrick was when he was mentioned in a news report in October 2021, after a first-time victim accused him of rape.
Michelle said she “recognized him immediately” and was “in shock.”
The publicity of the case eventually inspired other women to come forward, including Michelle.
The officer said she initially did not see herself as a victim because “I was a police officer.”
She also feels “guilty” because if she had reported her rape “I might have prevented Carrick’s attacks on more victims.”
Michelle said she knows that even if she had reported the attack nearly 20 years ago, it was unlikely that much would have turned out as “very few rape cases went to court back then.”
She also believed that had she spoken out about the incident, “it probably would have ruined my career.”
She said the force was “very male-dominated” and that “women were not encouraged to speak out about officer misconduct.”
She says female officers were reminded that they were “cops” and not “victims.”
Carrick, pictured here in an artist impression in court, was exposed last week as one of Britain’s most prolific rapists after admitting 49 charges against a dozen women between 2003 and 2020, including 24 counts of rape.
Carrick (pictured) faced complaints about his behavior before joining the Met in 2001, then again on probation in 2002 and several times during his police career until 2021. He was not suspended until October 2021 when he was arrested for rape
Carrick assaulted at least a dozen women during his career at the Met over an 18-year period, using his position to gain their trust and frighten them into keeping quiet.
His pay was cut when he pleaded guilty to most of the criminal charges in December, but there is no mechanism in place to strip him of his pension. The current rules only apply when crimes are directly related to the offender’s police service.
The former armed officer faced complaints about his conduct before joining the Met in 2001, then again as a parole officer in 2002 and several times during his police career through 2021.
He was not suspended until October 2021 when he was arrested for rape.
Sir Mark said earlier that weak policies and decisions allowed Carrick to stay in the force for 20 years, despite repeated complaints against him.
Now more than 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers and staff previously charged with domestic violence and sex crimes are facing charges in the wake of Carrick’s case.