Serving Metropolitan Police officer charged with rape

*This article contains references to sexual assault, rape, and kidnap. 

Criminal proceedings against the officer involved will now take place.

An officer with London's Metropolitan Police has been charged with rape. PC David Carrick from Steveange was arrested on Saturday. He is currently in custody and will appear at Hatfield Remand Court by video link this morning. He has since been suspended from the force. According to Metro, Carrick was off-duty when the alleged rape took place on 4 September last year. In a statement, on Carrick's charge, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida 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 added: "Criminal proceedings must now take their course so I am unable to comment any further at this stage." Carrick was employed in the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, which is the same unit Wayne Couzens worked in. Last week, Couzens was given a whole life order for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard. It's been reported that Couzens produced his warrant card to handcuff and "arrest" Ms Everard. The Met Police are currently being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct to determine if the force failed to properly investigate two cases of indecent exposure against Couzens days before Everard's death. Since details of the murder of Sarah Everard has emerged, many have expressed their distrust in the UK's police force. Moreover, the police have attracted criticism for advising women to "flag down a bus" if they are alarmed by a lone police officer. If you have been affected by any of the details of this article, you can contact Women's Aid's 24 hour helpline on 1800 341 900 and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on 1800 77 8888.