On 6 and 7th February 2023 together with Women of Colour in the Global Women’s Strike, we held a lively protest outside the sentencing hearing of David Carrick, former Met police officer, a prolific serial rapist, domestic abuser and torturer of women.
Women with disabilities, sex workers, women with insecure immigration status, and mothers whose children had been removed after the mum suffered domestic violence – all spoke out passionately and movingly about how police hostility had impacted their lives and made it impossible to get their rapist or abuser arrested and prosecuted.
Some survivors spoke of police treating them more like a suspect and even threatening them with arrest. Supportive men joined us and passers-by said they were glad for our presence. There was lively chanting and interaction with the media.
Open letter to the Met police, February 2023.
Our demands for change included:
- Corrupt, prejudiced officers must be sacked with immediate effect
- Vetting of prospective officers must be rigorous
- Officers who blow the whistle must be protected
- Rape, domestic violence, racist attacks and other crimes against the person (rather than property), including by police perpetrators, must become a number one priority
- No police in schools
- No strip search of children
- No additional police powers - NO Public Order Bill!
Some excerpts from the media:
National World, 8 February. David Carrick: rapist Met Police officer jailed for minimum of 30 years after series of sexual offences. Watch here
Open Democracy, 8 February. Scrap plans to give cops more power, say women as David Carrick jailed for life. Read the interview with us here.
New York Times, 7 February: London police officer sentenced to life for rape and sexual abuse. Read more here.
The Mirror, 7 February. David Carrick: Protesters gather outside court ahead of sentence. Watch here
APNews, 7 February. UK police officer, exposed as serial rapist, jailed for life. Read more here.
The Guardian, 7 February. David Carrick: serial rapist and former Met police officer sentenced to more than 30 years in prison – as it happened. Read more here.
Nadja - Rethink the News, 7 February. Where do women turn if they can’t trust the police? Read more here.
Evening Standard, 6 February. Protest outside Crown Court before David Garrick's sentencing. Watch/read here.
ITN News, 6 February. David Carrick sentencing: Inside rapist officer's home where he locked up and spied on women. More here.
ITN News, 6 February. David Carrick sentencing: Inside rapist officer's home where he locked up and spied on women. More here.
Police violence: the statistics...
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