Met Assistant Commissioner Breaks Silence Ahead of Carrick Sentencing
Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray, head of professionalism at the Metropolitan Police, speaks out as David Carrick faces sentencing at Southwark Crown Court this Monday.
Carrick’s Heinous Crimes Exposed
Nearly three weeks after Carrick’s final guilty plea, Gray condemned his “most heinous crimes” against women. She revealed that over the next two days of court hearings, more details will emerge about the abuse and its devastating impact on the brave women who testified.
“I sincerely apologise for the pain and devastation he has caused them. We let them down by failing to identify a man among the ranks of the Metropolitan Police Service who committed the most heinous crimes,” Gray said. “He should not have worked as a cop.”
Met Pledges to Clean Up Its Act
Gray vowed urgent action to fix “systemic failings” uncovered by internal and external reviews, including those by His Majesty’s Inspectorate and Baroness Casey. “We are determined to root out those who undermine our integrity,” she declared, promising more updates on progress soon.
The Met Commissioner also pledged to restore public trust with major reform:
- Millions poured into the Directorate of Professional Standards
- Tripled staff numbers with experts to sniff out misconduct
- New 50-strong Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offending team targeting officers involved in abuse
- Creation of an Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command probing officers’ misconduct on and off duty
- Revamp of intelligence systems to uncover hidden wrongdoing
- ‘Project Onyx’ reviewing a decade of closed cases for missed patterns of abuse
Call for Public Help Against Corruption
The Met has launched an internal appeal urging officers and staff to report abuse. It has also set up a confidential anti-corruption hotline in partnership with Crimestoppers for public tips on rogue officers.
Gray confirmed efforts to engage external experts, especially from Violence Against Women and Girls groups, to oversee reforms and strengthen scrutiny.
Victims Front and Centre as Justice Nears
“The next two days are all about the victims,” Gray stressed. “They have shown great bravery in speaking out. They have earned the right to have their voices heard and justice served.”
