A London police officer has been charged with rape, the force announced (Representational)
A London police officer has been charged with rape, the force announced on Sunday in a move that shook the country, just days after another officer was convicted of the rape and murder of a woman.
The London Metropolitan Police said police constable David Carrick, 46, who was arrested on Saturday and suspended the same day, is due to appear in court on Monday.
News of Carrick’s arrest was announced as the government and police are still trying to deal with the consequences of 48-year-old Wayne Couzens’ sentencing.
Cousins was jailed for the rest of her life on Thursday after falsely arresting Sarah Everard for breaking coronavirus restrictions, then raping and murdering her.
Both Carrick and Coogens worked for the London police unit responsible for the security of Parliament and diplomats. Over the weekend, the Met confirmed that Couzens had been approved for armed patrols of parliament on five occasions last year.
Commissioner Cressida Dick, the head of the London Metropolitan Police, said she was “deeply concerned” by the news of Carrick’s arrest and charge.
“I fully recognize that the public will be very concerned too,” she said. “The criminal proceedings must now take their course, so I am unable to comment further at this stage.”
Social media has been flooded with posts calling for strict political action to protect women and their experiences of harassment and assault.
The London Force – Britain’s largest – has been widely criticized for advising women if they are stopped by an officer they do not trust.
But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson backed that advice in a BBC interview.
“My view is that the police – exceedingly – do an amazing job,” he said, calling on “women of all ages” to trust the police.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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