Metropolitan police officer booked for two counts of rape

The Metropolitan Police have announced that a serving officer has been charged with two counts of rape. Reports suggest that PC Rupert Edwards, a member of the southwest basic command unit, was detained on September 5 on suspicion of rape before being freed on bail and suspended from duty. He was accused of rape on two separate charges on Friday. He is due to appear in detention at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police Department, the accusations include two women: one is in her 20s and the other is in her 30s. The offenses are claimed to have taken place when the officer was off duty in Surrey on September 5 and Lambeth on August 26.

Commander Jon Savell, head of the Met's professionalism command, stated, "This news is deeply worrying and I recognise the concern it will cause the public and other police officers. We took immediate action to suspend PC Edwards from duty when he was first arrested in September." "Legal proceedings are now active and it is important that I do not comment while that process takes place," he added.


The police reported that both women were receiving assistance from people with advanced training. Additionally, the Directorate of Professional Standards for the Metropolitan Police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct have been informed.



The announcement of the charges comes as the London Police Service faces one of its most challenging times ever, with the force also enacting exceptional measures. Mark Rowley, a former counterterrorism police commander for Britain, was appointed to lead the struggling London police department in July, following a number of stunning failures and discoveries. Back then, Commissioner Rowley said:

"Our mission is to lead the renewal of policing by consent, which has been so heavily dented in recent years as trust and confidence have fallen."

Former Met chief Cressida Dick resigned in February after learning that London Mayor Sadiq Khan was unconvinced about her capacity to address the issues within the force.

Rowley took over when public trust had been "severely undermined by a number of significant failings,'' according to Priti Patel, the then-Home Secretary.

FAQs:

1. Who is the Metropolitan Police Service's current commissioner?
   The Metropolitan Police Service's current commissioner is Mark Rowley.
2. Where is the Metropolitan Police's main office?
   The Metropolitan Police's current headquarters are located on the Victoria Embankment in New Scotland Yard.