How 13 women's testimonies secured the fate of serial rapist David Carrick
'You can trust me, I'm a police officer' couldn't be further from the truth
In October 2021, a woman reported she had been raped by serving Metropolitan Police Officer David Carrick. News of him being charged sparked a significant investigation which revealed Carrick's relentless campaign of sexual and mental abuse of women.
A further 12 women came forward and reported being assaulted by him and it was their strong, authentic and consistent testimonies that formed the CPS case against Carrick.
Despite not knowing each other, the striking similarities in their accounts of how Carrick had manipulated them, and assaulted them physically, sexually and mentally, was the evidence that left him with no option but to admit his crimes.
He pleaded guilty to 49 offences including rape, coercive and controlling behaviour, sexual assault and false imprisonment.
Carrick showed a complete disregard of women. Some of the victims who were in relationships with Carrick were relentlessly manipulated, financially cut off and isolated from their friends as well as repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped. Others were women he met socially but still degraded and sexually abused.
Victims described how Carrick would make derogatory comments, calling them his slave or a whore. He called them 'fat', wouldn't allow them to eat, controlled where they slept, watched them on cameras in his house, urinated on them, raped them, and even locked some women in a cupboard under his stairs for hours at a time.
David Carrick
David Carrick
The camera Carrick used to keep an eye on his victims
The camera Carrick used to keep an eye on his victims
The case against Carrick
Over the course of this case, we've reviewed 300 witness statements and around 4,000 pages of evidence.
With every report the case against Carrick grew, as the victims' accounts of Carrick’s pattern of behaviour were all very similar. This evidence was compelling, as the victims were unknown to each other and his methods were unusual.
Supporting data from phone messages, as well as the unmistakeable similarities between the victim accounts, gave us the evidence needed to authorise charges against Carrick and take this case to court.
In this instance, as with many other rape and serious sexual assault cases, the evidence may have appeared limited. However, it was the testimonies of the women that provided the key evidence against Carrick as they were strong, authentic and consistent, as more and more victims came forward.
Carrick insisted the offences were either consensual or hadn't happened at all, so it was our role to clarify this point around consent.
The cupboard Carrick trapped some of his victims in
The cupboard Carrick trapped some of his victims in
Consent
Rape and serious sexual assault cases are complex because they often happen in private between people who are known to each other - usually with no other witnesses and very little in the way of other evidence such as CCTV or forensic being available.
A person consents to sexual activity only if they agree by choice, and they have the freedom and the capacity to make that choice.
Our duty as prosecutors is to prove the absence of consent and to do this we must consider if the victim had the freedom or capacity to consent.
A victim may not have the freedom to consent if:
· The suspect uses force or threats to coerce the complainant to subdue them
· The rape or sexual assault occurs in a domestic abuse situation
· The suspect was in a position of power where they could abuse their trust eg. employer, teacher – in this case, police officer
· The victim was dependant on the suspect eg. financially or for care
· If the victim was significantly younger than the suspect
Speaking after the conviction, Chief Crown Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal said:
"This is one of the most shocking cases the Crown Prosecution Service has dealt with involving a serving police officer. Anyone hearing about the 49 counts David Carrick pleaded guilty to against 12 victims would agree the sheer magnitude of his offending is horrifying.
"The victims who suffered at the hands of David Carrick have finally seen justice. It is their courage in standing up against this heinously abusive man – a police officer – that has helped to secure his conviction, ultimately breaking his power and control over women.
"Carrick held a role where he was trusted with the responsibility of protecting the public, yet over 17 years in his private life he did the exact opposite. This is a man who relentlessly degraded, belittled, sexually assaulted and raped women. As time went on, the severity of his offending intensified as he became emboldened, thinking he would get away with it.
"The scale of the degradation Carrick subjected his victims to is unlike anything I’ve encountered in my 34 years with the Crown Prosecution Service. He manipulated and assaulted these women and committed the very worst offences against them.
"Carrick was persuasive but also incredibly manipulative. On first meeting his victims he would charm them, then he would try to control them. And he would often use his position as a police officer to stop them leaving or reporting him; suggesting it would be their word against his and they wouldn’t be believed.
"To overcome all of that and report what Carrick had done to them took incredible strength, and I commend every single woman who courageously shared their traumatic experience and enabled us to bring this case to court and see justice served.
"I would also like to thank my CPS team, prosecution counsel and the police investigation team who worked so hard and quickly to build an extremely strong case; one which left Carrick with no option but to admit his crimes.
"At the Crown Prosecution Service, we are continuing our efforts to improve every aspect of how offences of violence against women and girls are handled. Women have the right to be safe and feel safe; now more than ever it is vital that all the criminal justice agencies work together to tackle these appalling crimes. And we hope the outcome of this case will encourage other women who may be in a similar position to come forward, knowing we will do all we can to secure justice for them."
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