London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Hundreds of police face sack as part of clean-up, UK top officer says

Hundreds of police face sack as part of clean-up, UK top officer says

Hundreds of officers in London are likely be sacked for sexual and domestic abuse offences, Britain's most senior policeman said on Tuesday as he sought to regain public trust after an officer admitted being a serial rapist.

London's Metropolitan Police ("the Met"), which has been rocked by scandals in recent years, was plunged into further crisis after David Carrick, 48, admitted carrying out 24 counts of rape over almost two decades while serving as a police officer while his colleagues missed chances to stop him.

The case follows a series of revelations of serious wrongdoing at the force, Britain's biggest with more than 43,000 officers and staff and responsibility for leading the country's response to terrorism and issues such as extradition.

London Commissioner Mark Rowley, brought in four months ago to lead the clean-up, said investigations were underway into about 800 officers over 1,000 sexual and domestic abuse claims. Many jobs will be lost as part of the process, he said.

"I've got tens of thousands of fantastic men and women, but I've got hundreds who shouldn't be here. I'm going to sort it out," Rowley told the BBC on Tuesday.

"We're systematically reviewing every member of police staff and police officer who we have any historic flags against, for being involved in incidents involving domestic abuse or sexual violence."

CORRUPTION, RACISM AND MISOGYNY

Public confidence in the Met has been hit by revelations of its culture of corruption, racism and misogyny.

In recent years, one officer was jailed for the rape and murder of a woman he abducted as she walked home and the courts then ruled heavy-handed policing at a vigil in her honour was unlawful.

A serving officer was convicted of being a member of a neo-Nazi group, two more were jailed for sharing pictures from a crime scene after the murder of two sisters, while an inquiry into one unit found discussions about beating women, with one officer messaging a female colleague to say he would rape her.

Interior minister Suella Braverman told parliament she was encouraged by the Met's action so far.

"There is still some way to go to ensure that the force can command the trust of the people that it serves. It is vital that the Metropolitan Police and other forces double down on their efforts to root out corrupt officers. This may mean more shocking cases come to light in the short term," she said.

The Met has been the subject of an independent review since 2021, with initial findings concluding "radical" reform was needed in relation to dealing with allegations of misconduct against officers.

The case of Carrick, one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders who pleaded guilty to 24 counts of rape between 2003 and 2020, prompted questions about the failure to spot what he was doing.

He had previously come to police attention over nine incidents including accusations of harassment, assault and rape between 2000 and 2021 but was not charged with any offence.

Carrick had used his position of power to control and intimidate his victims, telling them no one would believe their word against that of a serving officer.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×