- Published
A Metropolitan Police detective, who was raped by a fellow officer, has told the BBC that Scotland Yard's handling of her case was "like being raped all over again".
asserted
handling → publish → case
Det Con Linda Williams was attacked in 2004 by PC David Carrick - a serial abuser jailed for life in 2023 for sexual offences against her and 11 other women.
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Williams → attack → her
Linda has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of the attack and sought damages from the Met for failing to protect her from Carrick.
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Linda → have → Carrick
The lengthy civil case left her feeling suicidal, she says.
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she → leave → her
The "worst thing", she says, was when lawyers acting for the Met commissioner challenged the severity of her PTSD on the basis that she had been raped only once.
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she → say → basis
The Met has told the BBC it "tried to reduce further distress and re-traumatisation to DC Williams' welfare and has aimed to deal with her claims as quickly and compassionately as possible".
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it → tell → claims
"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," the force added.
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force → recognise → result
"Her continued commitment to public service, in spite of the trauma she experienced, is commendable."
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she → experience → trauma
Linda, who has waived her legal right to anonymity to speak to the BBC, has settled her civil case and the Met has now paid her compensation without acceptance of liability.
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Met → waive → liability
In an unprecedented move for a serving officer, she is now calling publicly for Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to resign.
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Rowley → serve → officer
She believes he has failed to change police culture as promised and she still does not trust her own force to handle cases like hers.
When he took on the most important job in UK policing in 2022, Sir Mark pledged to change the Met.
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Mark → believe → Met
At the time, the force was viewed as being in crisis - following Sarah Everard's murder by a serving officer and other scandals including officers sharing photos of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman.
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force → view → sisters
After Carrick was jailed in January 2023, Sir Mark praised the victims and said: "We have failed and I'm sorry.
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I → jail → victims
Two months later, in an official report by Baroness Casey, the Met was described as a "boys' club", that was institutionally misogynistic and had failed women.
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that → describe → women
Linda contacted the BBC, after seeing Panorama's report last year into a hidden culture of misogyny and racism inside the Met.
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Linda → contact → Met
Since reporting the rape by Carrick in 2021, Linda says it has been "horrific" and she would not report a rape to the Met today "because I don't trust the police and I don't think they deal with it correctly".
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they → report → it
Carrick was brought to justice by Hertfordshire Police, which investigated the rape of Linda.
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which → bring → Linda
She reported it to the force after seeing media coverage of the news that Carrick had been charged with raping another woman.
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Carrick → report → woman
"I supported victims through rape but didn't report myself.
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I → support → rape
I think that says loads.
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that → think → loads
"I'm asking members of the public to report, and I'm there to support them, but I wouldn't do it myself and I didn't do it."
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I → ask → it
She says if a similar attack happened to her tomorrow, she would not report it to the Met, because she has "no faith" that the force would deal with it correctly.
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force → say → it
Carrick raped her while she was on a three-month attachment with him in south London - miles from where she was normally based.
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she → rap → London
One night, Linda says, Carrick suggested she should stay at his home, so she did not have to drive far late at night only to return early the next morning.
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she → say → night
He then raped her.
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He → rap → her
When Linda told him no, she says Carrick replied: "It's what I do.
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I → tell → what
I'm going to carry on."
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I → go → ?
She knew that if she fought back then Carrick was going to get violent, she says.
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she → know → ?
Afterwards, Linda says she "never told a soul".
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she → say → soul
She says she felt unable to report the rape then, or for years afterwards, because of the culture in the Met.
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she → say → Met
Reporting the rape "would have been the end of my career", she says, because Carrick would not have been charged and she would have been shunned.
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she → report → career
"I would imagine that if Carrick had been arrested, he probably would have been interviewed and then no further action.
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he → imagine → ?
So then mud sticks, doesn't it?
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it → stick → ?
"Then I'd be the officer that alleges rape, and who's going to want to work with me?"
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who → allege → me
The "very sexist" culture she says she experienced included having her forehead stamped with the words "Property of the Met" and being locked in the boot of a police car for the duration of a shift.
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forehead → say → shift
Linda, now 60, says the mental and emotional impact of the rape has been vast.
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impact → say → rape
She has led a lonely life, she says, focused primarily on her work and pets.
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she → lead → work
She has not had a relationship with a man since the day she was attacked and says she has missed out on having a family.
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she → have → family
"I still don't feel I could have any relationship," she adds.
uncertain
she → feel → relationship
She feels guilty at not having come forward earlier to report Carrick, she says.
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she → feel → Carrick
…and 24 more, not listed.
The Aporia
