Detective raped by colleague calls for Met Commissioner to resign

Metropolitan Police Detective Constable Linda Williams has called for the resignation of Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, stating the force's handling of her case was "like being raped all over again". Ms Williams was raped by fellow officer PC David Carrick in 2004 during a three-month attachment in south London. Carrick was jailed in 2023 for life for sexual offences against Ms Williams and 11 other women.

Ms Williams, who has waived her right to anonymity, settled a civil case against the Metropolitan Police for failing to protect her from Carrick and for her subsequent inability to report the assault due to the force's culture. The Metropolitan Police has paid her compensation without accepting liability. The force stated it "tried to reduce further distress and re-traumatisation to DC Williams' welfare and has aimed to deal with her claims as quickly and compassionately as possible."

Challenging PTSD claims

During the four-year civil case, lawyers acting for the Metropolitan Police questioned the severity of Ms Williams' post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She told the BBC that the legal team suggested her PTSD was less severe because she had been raped only once. The Met's legal team also argued that for at least 15 years after the attack, the psychological harm she experienced did not significantly impact her daily life, a claim Ms Williams stated fails to understand trauma.

A document seen by the BBC from the Met stated that a key factor in assessing damages was that the "abuse itself was isolated to a single episode". Ms Williams' solicitor, Sophie Bullimore, commented that to see the rape "reduced down on paper to it being a single isolated event, when actually it has impacted every single aspect of her life, it just needs to be handled with more care."

Calls for cultural change

Ms Williams stated that the "very sexist" culture she experienced within the Met included having her forehead stamped with "Property of the Met" and being locked in the boot of a police car. She reported the rape to Hertfordshire Police in 2021 after seeing media coverage of Carrick's charges for other offences. She expressed that she would not report a rape to the Met today due to a lack of trust in the force's ability to handle such cases correctly. She believes the Met's culture has not changed sufficiently since Carrick's conviction, stating that victims of domestic violence and sexual offences do not receive the support they need.

When Sir Mark Rowley took over as Commissioner in 2022, he pledged to reform the force, which had faced significant scandals. Following Carrick's jailing in January 2023, Sir Mark stated, "We have failed and I'm sorry. He should not have been a police officer." Baroness Casey's report in March 2023 described the Met as institutionally misogynistic and a "boys' club" that had failed women.

Ms Williams, now 60, said the rape has had a vast mental and emotional impact, leading to a lonely life and no romantic relationships since the attack. She feels guilty for not reporting the assault sooner, believing it would have ended her career at the time.