A Metropolitan Police officer has been cleared of gross misconduct after failing to properly investigate intelligence about David Carrick in 2021 - information that could have exposed the serial rapist's predatory behaviour before his eventual conviction.
The unnamed officer faced allegations of neglecting their duty when they received intelligence relating to Carrick, then a serving police constable. This failure occurred before Carrick's arrest and conviction for horrific sexual offences spanning two decades.
Carrick was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2023 with a minimum term of 32 years after admitting to 49 charges against 12 women, including 24 counts of rape. His case exposed catastrophic failures in police vetting and internal complaint handling, sparking widespread public outrage and demands for reform.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had previously investigated how the Met handled nine separate allegations of sexual offences and domestic abuse made against Carrick between 2000 and 2021. This misconduct hearing focused on a specific aspect of those internal processes.
The decision to clear the officer means the panel concluded the allegations were not proven to the required standard. The outcome will likely draw criticism as the Metropolitan Police continues struggling to rebuild public trust following a string of scandals, including Carrick's crimes and the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens.