Ex-Met Officer Linda Williams receives six-figure settlement after Carrick attack

Former Metropolitan Police officer Linda Williams has received a six-figure settlement from the force following an attack by serial rapist David Carrick in 2004. Ms Williams, 60, who has waived her right to anonymity, described the handling of her legal claim by the Met as "devastating" and said it drove her to contemplate suicide.

David Carrick, a former armed officer with the Met, is currently serving 37 life sentences after being convicted of attacking more than a dozen women. He pleaded guilty in 2022 and 2023 to 71 sexual offences, including 48 rapes.

Criticism of Met's handling of claim

Ms Williams stated that the civil process had been traumatic, comparing the experience to the original attack. She said: "The whole process has taken me right back to how I felt when I was raped by Carrick, controlled, abused and powerless." She added that she felt a "complete lack of empathy and support" from the police, and that the force had used her continued exemplary performance at work against her to suggest she had not suffered psychological trauma.

She alleges that the Met's handling of her case was "the Met's fault" for her inability to report the rape in 2004 and that little had changed in the force's culture since then. Ms Williams reported the attack in 2021, 17 years after it occurred. She stated that she has had no romantic relationships since the assault, which she attributes to the attack, saying: "Carrick stole the future that I wanted."

Ms Williams has called for Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, to resign. She believes a new unit, overseen by victims, is needed to address violence against women and girls, stating: "For this to happen Rowley needs to go and we need a new commissioner."

Sophie Bullimore, Ms Williams' solicitor, commented on the case, saying: "My client is an extremely impressive woman, who has shown incredible strength since the assault and throughout this process; however her life has been forever changed and more than 20 years after the attack, the impact on her mental health and daily living is still stark." Ms Bullimore also asked that the Met "review" its procedures for handling similar cases.

Metropolitan Police response

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated: "David Carrick was responsible for the most appalling offences and as we have said previously, we are truly sorry for the harm and suffering he caused his victims. He should never have been a police officer."

The force acknowledged that "serious flaws in the way we approached such investigations at the time meant we did not spot his pattern of abusive behaviour" and that they "missed opportunities to pursue him through the misconduct process." The Met also recognised the "unique and additional impact" on Ms Williams, a serving officer at the time of the attack, and called her continued commitment to public service "commendable."

The spokesperson added that the Met had "tried to reduce further distress and re-traumatisation to DC Williams' welfare" throughout the legal proceedings and aimed to deal with her claims "as quickly and compassionately as possible." The Commissioner has met and spoken with Ms Williams on multiple occasions, acknowledging her courage in speaking out and has contacted her to discuss these issues further.