How one woman’s act of bravery exposed Met officer’s abuse and police failures

David Carrick used his status as a police officer to put women at ease, perpetrate the abuse and then silence his victims. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock

When the Metropolitan police constable David Carrick was arrested for rape in October 2021 by detectives from the Hertfordshire force, his demeanour during the interview was unusual for a suspect facing a serious criminal accusation.

“He was quite charming, as if he was talking to his friends who were police officers; just having a chat. It did not seem like he was concerned,” recalls Shilpa Shah, a lawyer from the Crown Prosecution Service, who built the case against him.