How police let a registered sex offender murder and attack women

[IwantToRetire]

If anyone has listened or watched any news today you will have seen yet another case where the police have failed to protect women.

Do they just not care, or is it too much bother to monitor registered sex offenders. Who was on bail.

Let alone not bothering to investigate murders.

This just keeps on happening.

RIP to the women who died and to the brave survivor who help convict this man.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8jnrk4xlvdo

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/07/simon-levy-murders-has-anything-changed-in-policing-since-sarah-everard-killing

https://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/national/26446874.two-police-officers-investigation-sex-predator-left-free-kill/

I didn’t mean to suggest that the Met being institutionally misogynistic is somehow a new phenomenon. I certainly don’t think it is.

My point was more that the current London and national leadership doesn’t seem to be doing much to address it, or denies it, which is why I was wondering whether there’s a particular feminist movement or organisation pushing for change within the police specifically.

I suppose some of my scepticism comes from personal experience too. I was randomly assaulted on a busy London high street in broad daylight, and the police didn’t investigate it, essentially saying there were “no resources unless I was murdered.”

There are obviously resources being devoted to other less important things, including pursuing people over things they’ve said online...so that doesn't add up does it?

I think it is just usual politician double speak. There has been a lot of Labour headlines about tackling violence against women, but nothing happens.

Of course one of the problems is by the time the police do (or do not) investigate it is already too late.

After decades of campaigns by women's groups about male violence, there has never been and still is not a campaign about what society is going to do about acts of violence by men and boys.

I hated being in Starmer’s government
Administration was ‘nowhere near the level of will and commitment it will actually take’ to meet Labour’s pledge to violence against women and girls
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jess-phillips-keir-starmer-labour-b3029271.html

I'm wrong. Apparently there is a Government Strategy.

I am sure all violent men in the UK are reading up on this and making every effort to not be violent towards women and girls.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-from-violence-and-abuse-a-cross-government-strategy/freedom-from-violence-and-abuse-a-cross-government-strategy-to-build-a-safer-society-for-women-and-girls-accessible

Depressing to see that the very last Women's Liberation Conference in the UK passed the 7th demand which was (is):

Freedom for all women from intimidation by the threat or use of violence or sexual coercion regardless of marital status; and an end to the laws, assumptions and institutions which perpetuate male dominance and aggression to women.

That was 1978. ie nearly 50 years ago.

https://feministarchivenorth.org.uk/herstory/wlm-chronology/

God it was just a harrowing article. What are the point of laws if the police are just so inept? Why are they not doing their jobs properly? It seems like casual disregard.

What I cannot understand is that he has been sentenced to six years in prison. SIX MEASLY YEARS. For murdering two women and assaulting countless others.

He’ll no doubt be out in three. Ready to roam the tube again and probably kill some more. All good.

The Met said they had 10,000 sex attackers on their books… Granted that is a nightmare to deal with but they had caught the Simon Levy individual and still treated him as if he had merely stolen a loaf of bread.

Was the 6 year sentence given earlier in the year for the multiple sexual attacks? Now with the 2 murders and rape convictions I am assuming he'll be in prison for the rest of his life.

The courts have a role to play here. They're talking about rehabilitation of offenders with early release at the moment on the radio and how offenders need to be reformed with regard to early release. They've got judge Wendy Joseph on and some old lag who was in and out over the course of 4 decades before going straight re the release of the killers of PC Andrew Harper and grooming gang members. Let's rehabilitate. That will be ideal.

Yet they've just spent the bulk of the programme gnashing and wailing about why Levy wasn't in prison and repeatedly bailed. Do they think Levy can be rehabilitated?

And seriously is he only going to get 6 years for 2 murders???

I am acquainted with the doctor in charge at a nearby prison. They were saying that “old lags” à la Ronnie Barker have died out, and the prisoners now are more dangerous and have committed worse crimes, often with complete disregard for human life. They said it is now a far more difficult job for prison staff than in the past.

Terrible and an expose not just of the inbuilt misogyny and lack of concern for MVAWG in the Met but also the British Transport Police and the deeply dysfunctional CPS.
We are so badly served by all these agencies.

He hasn't been sentenced yet - that's due to happen next Wednesday.

Murder means a mandatory life sentence, with the judge either stipulating a minimum number of years to spend in prison, or imposing a whole-life tariff.

Yes, I stand corrected. I hope he is given a stiff term. Hope being the operative word… This case has national/media attention now but if it hadn’t he’d probably have been given the minimum.

Policing needs full root and branch reform. Their priorities just seem bizarre, swinging into action because someones feelings were hurt or as the personal goon squad for someone with an axe to grind; recent examples being the Times Education journalist harassed by the Met for sending a compulsive liar three emails asking questions about his bullshit, and Wings harassment by Avon & Somerset at the behest of our favourite disgraced ex copper in a frock, but time and again dragging their heels over serious crime such as these murders (the Met again) and closing the case on a poor young man shot in the head by a gang in Bristol in a case of mistaken identity (Avon & Somerset again, thankfully the victim survived).
No wonder public confidence in the police is at rock bottom.

I suspect they prefer prosecution of spurious harassment charges because it's easier to collect evidence with lots of emails. So it looks like they are making concrete progress. Where as with sex assault, it's his word Vs hers which they find too difficult.

That Wings Scotland case had supposedly been under investigation for MONTHS after he made a joke about the grotty caravan that weirdo lived in. Literally 1 picture.

As the prospective Somerset Tory candidate is believed by media/society to not be rehabilitated (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/05/former-neo-nazi-activist-withdraws-as-conservative-election-candidate-joshua-bonehill-paine ) enough to stand then we clearly don't believe rehabilitation works.

If that's the case we shouldn't let anyone out of prison ever and just bring back the death penalty.

The Met police alone are responsible for the monitoring of 10000 registered sex offenders. Thats a huge number and there will be many Levys. They admit he did not stand out when I amongst this 10000.

And that figure grows year on year. The CPS is drowning. Women and children are not prioritised.

Yes. This is the flip side of rehabilitation or probation as a proposed management technique. There are so many.

I am absolutely disgusted by this case. The police, the CPS, the BTS, the courts all absolutely failing to do their job. And we still get the same old sorry, we’ll investigate and learn lessons crap.
Yet the government says VAWG is one of their top priorities - it f**g well doesn’t feel like it.
Who should we write to about this? Andy Burnham? Shabana Mahmood? Apparently Alex Norris is Justice Secretary (never heard of him)? Bridget Philipson (Minister for Women and we know how long things sit on her desk)? Sadiq Khan if you live in London?

Yet the government says VAWG is one of their top priorities

They appear to be making violence against women and girls their top priority, unfortunately not reducing violence against women and girls.

the attitude from the police and politicians does seem to be 'whaddya gonna do? there's LOADS of men who want to harm women. It's too big to solve'

until that attitude changes it's hard to see how any serious attention will be given to reducing MVAWG.

There was a woman on the radio this morning who said that dealing more seriously with gateway offending like indecent exposure or 'less serious' sexual assault was the way forward and I can't help agreeing with her

It's not just the Met . Essex police have admitted failing to protect another young woman Courtney Mitchell who was stabbed to death by her ex partner. Heartbreaking for her family but no one will face disciplinary action. Something is going seriously wrong and it should be a top priority for the Government..

A radio newsreader said something like "questions have been asked why Simon Levy was free to continue attacking" earlier.

I replied out loud (to nobody) "because we're just women and we don't matter"

I did read the BTP recommendation at one point was that he should not be given bail as they considered he was a danger to women and highly likely to continue to offend, but this recommendation was ignored by the judge at a bail hearing, so I don’t think the police are wholly to blame, although they do appear to have shown a staggering amount of incompetence. They also did a press release where they asked any other victims to come forward, but didn’t give a description of the alleged offender, which might have helped as he was quite distinctive looking.

I believe police officers do a very difficult job and there isn't sufficient funding for the growth in population, which is very noticeable in London however it seems they do waste valuable time on really trivial incidents.

It must be very frustrating for good officers that they are asked to investigate "hurty words" and also when they see prisoners who they believe are dangerous not on remand due to lack of prison places.

Do we need to see hours spent on trivial crimes? The Arday case had an investigation open for 4 months?? I'm sure it's because the officer was afraid of the backlash if he closed it.

Police do reflect the public but it's their bosses who should be accountable. Who review cases? Is there enough experience or resource?