Linda Williams, a Metropolitan police detective raped by the serial sex offender David Carrick in 2004, has settled her civil claim against the force for an undisclosed six-figure sum and called on Commissioner Mark Rowley to resign, saying the handling of her case left her feeling "controlled, abused and powerless".
Linda Williams, 60, who has waived her right to anonymity, was attacked by Carrick, a former armed officer with the Met, in 2004. Carrick, 51, is serving 37 life sentences after pleading guilty in 2022 and 2023 to 71 sexual offences, including 48 rapes against 12 other women over 17 years. He was convicted last November of molesting a 12-year-old child in the late 1980s and of repeatedly raping and abusing a female ex-partner.
Williams launched her legal case against the Met on the basis that the force failed to protect her from Carrick and that she felt unable to report the rape at the time. The claim was settled without the force admitting liability.
She said the way the force treated her throughout the legal process was "devastating" and drove her to contemplate suicide. "The whole process has taken me right back to how I felt when I was raped by Carrick: controlled, abused and powerless," she said. "If I was raped tomorrow, I wouldn't report it. Both the criminal justice process and the civil process have been so traumatic."
Williams, who once served as a sexual offences officer supporting victims herself, said the Met's legal team questioned the severity of her PTSD diagnosis and used the fact that she continued to perform well at work against her. "As far as I am concerned, it is Mark Rowley, the Met commissioner, saying these terrible things, as he was the defendant in the case," she said.
She alleged it was the Met's fault that she could not report the rape in 2004, and that little had changed in the force's culture since, which she likened to "an episode of Life On Mars". She has called for a new unit overseen by victims who understand what it is like to be raped, and for Rowley to leave. "For this to happen Rowley needs to go and we need a new commissioner," she said. She told the BBC that her PTSD was "90% down to the Met police, 10% to Carrick".
A Met spokesperson said serious flaws in the way such investigations were approached at the time meant the force did not spot Carrick's pattern of abusive behaviour. "We deeply regret this. We recognise the unique and additional impact on DC Linda Williams, whose exposure to Carrick came as a result of her being a Met officer. Her continued commitment to public service, in spite of the trauma she experienced, is commendable."
The spokesperson added that the force had aimed to deal with her claims "as quickly and compassionately as possible", that the commissioner had previously met Williams in person and corresponded with her by email on multiple occasions, and that he had contacted her to ask whether she would be willing to meet again and discuss the issues in person.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- A serving detective's account of being re-traumatised by the legal process puts the Met's treatment of its own officers at the centre of the debate over police accountability.
- The demand for the commissioner's resignation is a direct challenge to the force's leadership at a time when it says it is trying to rebuild public trust.
- Because the settlement was reached without an admission of liability, the claim that the Met failed Williams was never formally tested in court.
Background
David Carrick was a serving armed officer with the Metropolitan Police when he carried out a series of attacks on women over nearly two decades, and his case has become one of the most prominent scandals in modern British policing. Williams, herself a former sexual offences officer, had that exposure to Carrick as a result of being a Met officer. Her civil claim asserted that the force failed to protect her from him and that she felt unable to report the rape at the time. The case is part of a wider reckoning over police conduct in Britain, in which other serving officers have been convicted of serious offences, prompting scrutiny of how forces vet and supervise their own people.
Key Perspectives
Linda Williams: The Met failed to protect her, its handling of her claim added to her trauma, and she believes little has changed in the force's culture. She wants a new commissioner and a support unit run by victims like herself.
Metropolitan Police: The force acknowledges "serious flaws" in how investigations were handled at the time, says it deeply regrets missing opportunities, and points to the commissioner's past meetings and correspondence with Williams. He has asked to meet her again. The settlement was made without admitting liability.
Concerns and what could go wrong: The force has shown no sign of accepting the demand for Rowley's resignation, and the dispute now turns on whether further engagement, short of a leadership change, can satisfy Williams. She herself said that despite her experience and her understanding of the system, she would not report a rape today, a warning about how far confidence in the police has fallen.
What to Watch
- Whether Rowley and Williams meet again, and what comes of the commissioner's offer to discuss the issues in person.
- Whether the Met responds to her proposal for a unit overseen by victims of sexual violence.
- Whether the case adds pressure on Rowley's position as the force continues to face scrutiny over its culture and handling of misconduct.
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe Met settled Linda Williams’s civil claim over Carrick’s rape of her.World news | The Guardian: “She launched a legal case against the Met for failing to protect her against the serial rapist, and has now settled for an undisclosed six-figure sum without the force admitting liability.”
- SupportedWilliams said the handling of her case felt “like being raped all over again”.World news | The Guardian: “saying the handling of her case was “like being raped all over again”.”
- SupportedWilliams said her PTSD was “90% down to the Met police, 10% to Carrick”.World news | The Guardian: “Williams told the BBC the PTSD she had experienced after the attack was “90% down to the Met police, 10% to Carrick”.”
- SupportedWilliams called on Commissioner Mark Rowley to resign.World news | The Guardian: “A detective who was raped by the former Scotland Yard officer David Carrick has called for the head of the Metropolitan police to resign”
- SupportedWilliams said the process left her feeling “controlled, abused and powerless”.World news | The Guardian: ““The whole process has taken me right back to how I felt when I was raped by Carrick: controlled, abused and powerless,” she said.”
- SupportedWilliams, 60, was raped by Carrick in 2004 and has waived her right to anonymity.World news | The Guardian: “Linda Williams, 60, who has waived her right to anonymity, was attacked by Carrick in 2004.”
- SupportedThe settlement was for an undisclosed six-figure sum and did not include an admission of liability by the Met.World news | The Guardian: “has now settled for an undisclosed six-figure sum without the force admitting liability.”
- SupportedCarrick is serving 37 life sentences after pleading guilty in 2022 and 2023 to 71 sexual offences, including 48 rapes against 12 other women over 17 years.World news | The Guardian: “In 2022 and 2023, Carrick pleaded guilty to 71 sexual offences , including 48 rapes against 12 other women over 17 years.”
- SupportedCarrick was convicted last November of molesting a 12-year-old and repeatedly raping and abusing a former partner.World news | The Guardian: “In November last year, he was convicted of molesting a 12-year-old child in the late 1980s and repeatedly raping and abusing a female ex-partner.”
- Partly supportedWilliams said Rowley was “the Met commissioner” and “the defendant in the case”.World news | The Guardian: ““As far as I am concerned, it is Mark Rowley , the [Met] commissioner, saying these terrible things, as he was the defendant in the case.””
- SupportedThe Met said serious flaws in its approach meant it did not spot Carrick’s pattern of abusive behaviour.World news | The Guardian: ““Serious flaws in the way we approached such investigations at the time meant we did not spot his pattern of abusive behaviour.””