Another serving British police officer charged with rape, public inquiry under way
- Rupert Edwards was suspended from duty in September after being arrested on suspicion of rape, he was released on bail then arrested again
- Last year a serving officer was jailed for life for abducting a woman from a London street as she walked home then raping and murdering her
A serving British police officer has been charged with two counts of rape and will appear at a London court on Friday, the capital’s Metropolitan Police said.
Last year a serving officer was jailed for life for abducting a woman from a London street as she walked home then raping and murdering her in a case that shocked Britain and put a spotlight on standards in the Met, which has also faced accusations of bullying, racism and misogyny.
A public inquiry is under way to look at how a serving police officer was able to carry out such a crime and what lessons should be learned so that it does not happen again.
The Met said on Friday that police officer Rupert Edwards had been suspended from duty in early September after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and then released on bail. He was arrested again on Thursday, before being charged on Friday.
“This news is deeply worrying and I recognise the concern it will cause the public and other police officers,” Commander Jon Savell, who is in charge of the Met’s professionalism command, said in a statement.