A convicted sex offender, Simon Levy, murdered two women and raped a third after a series of decisions by police, prosecutors, and courts left him free. A jury at the Old Bailey found Levy guilty of the murders of Carmenza Valencia Trujillo, 54, and Sheryl Wilkins, 39, in London last year, as well as the violent rape of another woman.
The Metropolitan Police had downgraded Levy as a risk to women before he committed these attacks. The Met told the BBC it accepts that Sheryl Wilkins' life could have been saved and has apologised to her family.
Levy attacked the three women while on bail for sex assaults on trains in London and went on to commit further assaults on public transport. He had been freed on bail multiple times between late 2024 and summer 2025, even after being charged with sex offences and breaking bail conditions.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth from the Met described the situation as a "collective system failure" and a "tragedy beyond words." The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has also apologised for "shortcomings" in its attempts to have Levy remanded in custody.