A Home Office minister Robert Jenrick has said Rishi Sunak’s government will backs efforts by London mayor Sadiq Khan to strip serial rapist police officer David Carrick of his pension.
Mr Khan has said efforts will be made to remove the police pension because Carrick’s crimes were committed in connection with his job – but the current rules state he will still keep at least 35 per cent.
Mr Jenrick told Sky News: “The forfeiture of the pension is a matter for the mayor of London – but we support his efforts to remove that pension, if indeed that is what he chooses to do.
The immigration minister added: “This is one of the most egregious cases of police misconduct in the history of the Met … This disgusting individual should not benefit from his years serving in the Metropolitan Police.”
Mr Jenrick was more explicit on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, saying Suella Braverman supported moves to strip the pension from the serial rapist. “The home secretary and I do not expected David Carrick to receive his pension … I expect action on that very quickly.”
Investigators said the serial rapist officer, 48, used his position to gain his victims’ trust and frighten them into thinking they would not be believed if they made allegations against him.
Home Office guidance states pension forfeiture can only be applied for when an officer has a conviction “committed in connection with their service as a member of a police force”.
It also required that the offence has been certified by the home secretary as “liable to lead to a serious loss of confidence in the publics service” or “gravely injurious to the interests of the state”.
Such applications are usually made after a police officer has committed a crime while on duty.
A spokesman for Mr Khan said: “The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime will pursue pension forfeiture in this case as it is clear that PC Carrick committed offences in connection with his service as a member of a police force.”
The Met is expected to submit a report setting out Carrick’s conviction and service with the force following his sentencing next month before an application is made to Ms Braverman.
However, previous court decisions have determined an officer’s pension can only be forfeited by up to 65 per cent – the contributions that have been made by the police force and not their own contributions.
Carrick was formally dismissed from the Met on Tuesday for gross misconduct after pleading guilty to a total of 49 offences, including 24 counts of rape, against 12 women between 2003 and 2020.
Ms Braverman announced on Tuesday that the independent inquiry looking at the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer will also consider Carrick’s crimes.
The home secretary said Dame Elish Angiolini will include the 48-year-old’s offending in her inquiry, which was set up in November 2021.
Describing Carrick’s crimes as “a monstrous campaign of abuse”, Ms Braverman acknowledged that more shocking cases may come to light as police forces increase their efforts to root out corrupt officers.
For Labour, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said ministers have failed to heed repeated calls for reform after “appalling failures in the police vetting and misconduct processes”.
She added: “I would say the home secretary that given the scale of the problems – not just in this case – but in previous cases as well, her statement is very weak and it shows a serious lack of leadership on something that is so grave and affects confidence in policing as well as serious crimes.”
