Met detective says police response to her rape feels like renewed trauma

Detective Linda Williams was assaulted by PC David Carrick in 2004 while on a temporary posting in south London. After Carrick’s 2023 conviction for raping her and eleven other women, Williams pursued a civil claim against the Metropolitan Police, alleging the force failed to safeguard her. Throughout the protracted case, Met legal representatives challenged the depth of her post-traumatic stress disorder, suggesting a single rape could not cause severe harm.

The police settled the compensation claim without accepting responsibility, and Williams, who waived anonymity, has called for Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley’s resignation, arguing the institution remains a "boys' club" that does not protect victims. She says she would not report a similar assault today because she lacks faith in the Met’s ability to handle such cases properly.