Failure to properly vet officers resulted in serial rapists within Met ranks, review finds

An internal review revealed that the Metropolitan Police failed to properly vet thousands of officers and staff between 2013 and 2023, leading to serial rapists like David Carrick remaining in the force. The Met estimates over 5,000 individuals were recruited without proper checks, and pre-employment checks for around 17,000 others couldn't be confirmed. The review identified 1,400 officers who should have been flagged but were not, with 131 later committing criminal or misconduct offenses. This failure, driven by pressure to recruit quickly, allowed unsuitable individuals to join or remain in the Met, undermining public safety and trust. The Home Secretary has commissioned an inspection of the Met's recruitment and vetting practices in response.

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