New York Times, By Megan Specia. February 7th

David Carrick had pleaded guilty to 49 crimes against 12 women in the latest case to cast a harsh spotlight on the Metropolitan Police. Activists gathering for a protest outside Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday during the sentencing trial of David Carrick, a former police officer.

>>> Read more here about our protests and the media coverage around the sentencing of David Carrick.

A London police officer was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison for violence against 12 women over a 17-year period, a series of attacks in which a judge said he took “monstrous advantage” of his victims.

The sentencing of the officer, David Carrick, brings an end to a harrowing episode of violence against women, one of a number of criminal cases against officers that have led to calls for serious change at the Metropolitan Police, the force that covers London.

“You behaved as if you were untouchable,” the judge, Bobbie Cheema-Grubb, told Mr. Carrick, adding that he had carried out a series of attacks that began almost immediately after he became a police officer. She noted that he had referred to his job repeatedly while assaulting his victims.

The deeply traumatizing nature of the violence became more evident when a series of impact statements written by Mr. Carrick’s victims, who were all granted anonymity as the victims of sex crimes, were read out to the court.

The Metropolitan Police has been accused of allowing a culture of misogyny to thrive and of failing to address violence against women and girls by members of its ranks.

In one of the most disturbing cases, in 2021, a serving London police officer, Wayne Couzens, was sentenced to life in prison for the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard, which prompted national soul-searching and calls for reforms.

Mr. Carrick, 48, was sentenced in Southwark Criminal Court in London on Tuesday afternoon after a two-day hearing. Before handing down the sentence, Judge Cheema-Grubb described how Mr. Carrick “took monstrous advantage of women” he was in a relationship with and “brazenly raped them.”

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Mr. Carrick was sentenced to life and must serve a minimum of 30 years and 239 days in prison. He had already pleaded guilty last month to 49 charges of crimes against 12 women from 2003 to 2020, including 24 counts of rape, and numerous charges of sexual assault, controlling and coercive behavior, and false imprisonment.

Suella Braverman, the British home secretary, whose office oversees policing nationally, called Mr. Carrick’s crimes “a scar on our police.”

“It is only right that he now faces at least 30 years behind bars,” she added.

Mr. Carrick joined the Metropolitan Police in 2001, and later transferred to a unit charged with parliamentary and diplomatic protection duties. Mr. Carrick was suspended after he was charged in October 2021, and then fired by the police force last month after his guilty plea.

A number of the women were in relationships with Mr. Carrick at the time of the assaults, and all of the crimes were committed while he was serving with the Metropolitan Police. One of his victims was a fellow officer.

In some instances, Mr. Carrick used his status to intimidate, coerce and control the women he abused, the court heard on Monday. He threatened at least one woman with his police-issued gun before raping her repeatedly.

Judge Cheema-Grubb on Tuesday said the impact statements that were read in court a day earlier showed “evidence of irretrievable devastation” for many of the women.

One woman described how she “holds her breath” every time she sees a police car or a police officer.

Another woman wrote about how her relationships with friends and family had broken down after she was sexually assaulted by Mr. Carrick.

A third said that because Mr. Carrick had been a person in a position of authority, the abuse had left her unable to trust anyone.

The court heard how one of the women who had been victimized by Mr. Carrick came forward after the arrest of Mr. Couzens. Mr. Couzens abducted Ms. Everard two years ago while she was walking home in south London before raping and killing her. The woman’s decision inspired others to come forward, too.

“Courage calls to courage everywhere, and its voice cannot be denied,” Judge Cheema-Grubb said.

The trouble within the Metropolitan Police does not begin or end with Mr. Carrick’s case. In addition to the intense focus on the crimes committed by Mr. Carrick and Mr. Couzens, a number of less-prominent cases of police officers charged with sexual violence and domestic abuse have also emerged in recent years.

Last year, a report from England’s independent police watchdog detailed a troubling culture of misogyny, bullying and racism within the Metropolitan Police.

As pressure on the police mounted, the commissioner, Cressida Dick, stepped down last February. The force is currently reviewing 1,633 accusations of sexual offense and domestic violence that involve more than 1,000 officers and staff members.

Ms. Dick’s replacement, Mark Rowley, took over in September. He told a panel last month that the Metropolitan Police had “a practical plan for turning things around” but warned that the public should “prepare for more painful stories” to emerge as the force reviews a series of allegations.

In a statement, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, commended the women who had come forward to report Mr. Carrick. He said their actions had protected the public and “rid the Met Police of a dangerous and prolific offender who abused his position as a police officer in the worst possible way.”

“There can be no hiding place for those who abuse their position of trust and authority within the police,” Mr. Khan added, vowing that accusations of misconduct would be taken seriously and “handled sensitively” under the new commissioner.

The officers who investigated Mr. Carrick have also acknowledged that there may be other victims. Speaking after the hearing, Iain Moor, a detective inspector for the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit who was involved in the investigation, said the police had set up a special portal for people to share information about other possible crimes by Mr. Carrick.

“As a serving police officer, David Carrick has brought shame on the profession and was not fit to wear the uniform,” Detective Inspector Moor said. “But I hope that our determination to get justice for the victims in this case will go some way to reassuring the public that nobody is above the law.”

>>> Read more here about our protests and the media coverage around the sentencing of David Carrick.