Detective raped by colleague says Met handling of case ‘like being raped again’
Detective raped by colleague says Met response caused further trauma
Constantvpn.com – Detective raped by colleague says the Metropolitan Police’s handling of her civil case left her feeling traumatised all over again. Detective Constable Linda Williams is calling for Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to resign, saying she has lost faith in the force’s ability to deal properly with rape allegations.
Williams says former Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick raped her in 2004 while she was on a three-month attachment in south London. Carrick was jailed for life in 2023 after convictions for sexual offences against Williams and 11 other women.
After waiving her right to anonymity, Williams spoke publicly about the impact of the assault and the civil claim she brought against the Met. She has post-traumatic stress disorder and says the lengthy process became so distressing that she felt suicidal.
“It was like being raped all over again.”
Civil claim settled without admission of responsibility
The force has paid compensation to settle Williams’s claim, although it did not admit legal responsibility. Her case alleged that the Met failed to protect her from Carrick.
Detective raped by colleague says the most painful part of the proceedings was hearing lawyers acting for the commissioner question the extent of her PTSD because she had been raped on one occasion. She described this as the lowest point of the legal case.
The Met said it had tried to prevent further harm and retraumatisation while handling the claim swiftly and compassionately. It said Williams encountered Carrick because she was a serving officer and praised her continued public service.
Williams has worked for the Metropolitan Police for 27 years. She believes the force has not made enough progress on its culture and says that, if she were assaulted again, she would not report it to the Met.
“I don’t trust the police and I don’t think they deal with it correctly.”
Why she did not report the rape at the time
At the time of the assault, Williams worked as a rape investigation officer, helping other survivors through the reporting process. Yet she says she did not feel able to make a report herself.
“I supported victims through rape but didn’t report myself. I think that says loads.”
She feared that reporting Carrick would end her career. Williams believed he might be interviewed and released without further action, while she would be left isolated as the officer who had made an allegation.
Detective raped by colleague says workplace culture made her expect she would be shunned and treated unfairly. Her account highlights the particular pressures faced by people reporting sexual violence when the alleged perpetrator belongs to the same institution.
Report made after Carrick was charged in another case
Williams says she accepted Carrick’s offer to stay at his home after a late shift rather than make a longer journey and return early the next day. She says that during the attack, when she told him to stop, he replied: “It’s what I do. I’m going to carry on.”
She says she feared that physically resisting would lead to violence and did not tell anyone afterwards. In 2021, after seeing reports that Carrick had been charged with raping another woman, she made a report.
Hertfordshire Police investigated Williams’s allegation rather than the Metropolitan Police. The investigation ultimately contributed to Carrick being brought to justice.
Frequently asked questions
Who investigated Linda Williams’s allegation?
Hertfordshire Police investigated the allegation involving Williams, not the Metropolitan Police.
Was the Met found legally responsible in the civil case?
The claim was settled with compensation paid by the Metropolitan Police, without an admission of legal responsibility.
Why is Williams speaking publicly?
Williams says she wants to challenge what she sees as an enduring sexist culture and a failure by the force to make the changes needed for survivors to have confidence in reporting rape.