The Metropolitan Police service has come under scrutiny after serving police officer David Carrick, 48, pleaded guilty to 49 offences. 

Carrick, an armed officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command joined the Met in 2001 and was charged with 49 offences including 24 counts of rape taking place over 20 years, from 2000 to 2021.

Now, as the officer pleads guilty to the counts, the Met has faced mass scrutiny with some asking for a 'statutory inquiry' to take place. 

Survivors of domestic abuse charity Refuge shared that "The crimes that #MetPolice officer David Carrick has admitted to committing are utterly abhorrent.

"When a man who has been charged with 49 offences, including 24 charges of rape, is a serving police officer, how can women and girls possibly be – or feel – safe."

The charity later asked what has to happen "before crimes against women and girls are taken seriously?"

Others have called for an inquiry to take place to see why Carrick's crimes were not discovered earlier. 

As the organisation Women's Equality Party shared: "The Met knew about the allegations for TWENTY years. They did nothing as a serial rapist abused his power.

"They are complicit. Misogyny will never be stripped from the police without a nationwide, statutory inquiry."

Carricks case has been linked to former Met Police Officer Wayne Couzens who was given a full life sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard. 

The two officers worked in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, seeing some questions the Met, as one Twitter user wrote: "Some serious questions for the Metropolitan Police to answer given that both David Carrick and Wayne Couzens were in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, which is meant to be along the most elite and highly-vetted units of the police."

Met Police releases statement after David Carrick guilty of sexual offences

The Met Police shared that they 'condemned' the actions made by Carrick as Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray, the Met’s lead for Professionalism said: 

"On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I want to apologise to the women who have suffered at the hands of David Carrick.

“I commend their outstanding bravery in coming forward and reporting the horrific crimes they were victims of.

“Carrick is a prolific, serial sex offender who preyed on women over a period of many years, abusing his position as a police officer and committing the most horrific, degrading crimes.

“He has devastated women’s lives. He has had a devastating impact on the trust and confidence of women and girls that we are working so hard to earn. He has devastated colleagues.

“He used the fact he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims. We know they felt unable to come forward sooner because he told them they would not be believed.

“We should have spotted his pattern of abusive behaviour and because we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organisation.

“We are truly sorry that Carrick was able to continue to use his role as a police officer to prolong the suffering of his victims.

“I would also like to recognise the work of the Hertfordshire Constabulary officers whose thorough investigation has meant Carrick’s victims have been spared the further ordeal of a trial.”

Carrick will be sentenced at a hearing to take place at Southwark Crown Court beginning on Monday, 6 February.