London police officer from diplomatic unit charged with rape
October 4, 2021, 4:05 am

Police

The Channel News Asia reported according to Reuters, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement, a London police officer based in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command was charged with rape on Sunday (Oct 3).

David Carrick, aged 46, was charged by police in Hertfordshire, where he was off-duty at the time.

The report said, the charge comes days after Wayne Couzens, an officer in the same command, was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in March in a case that shocked Britain and stirred protests over violence against women.

The Metropolitan Police said it was "sickened, angered and devastated" by Couzens' crimes, and its Commissioner Cressida Dick apologised to Everard's family.

The case triggered calls for major reform over how police officers are vetted and how crimes against women are dealt with.

Speaking about Sunday's rape charge, Dick said: "I am deeply concerned to hear the news today that an officer from the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command has been arrested and now charged with this serious offence.

"I fully recognise the public will be very concerned too."

She said criminal proceedings must now take their course.

Carrick was arrested on Saturday by Hertfordshire Constabulary and suspended the same day by the Metropolitan Police.

Source: cna

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.