A former Metropolitan Police officer has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for the rape of a female colleague and a 16-year-old girl, with a judge criticising the force for protecting him. Adam Provan, 44, was convicted in June of six counts of rape of a fellow officer between 2003 and 2005, and two counts of rape of a teenager in 2010.
Judge Noel Lucas KC said the Met should be 'ashamed' of its response to the first victim's complaint, calling it 'abysmal and shocking'. He stated that officers were more concerned with 'looking out for one of their own' than taking her allegations seriously. The court heard that Provan held a pillow over the officer's face and burned her with a kettle during a campaign of abuse.
The first victim, who remains a police officer, reported stalking and harassment to the Met in 2005 but was reluctant to give a full statement after being labelled a 'griefy plonk' by colleagues. She only came forward to report the rapes in 2019. The judge noted that if her complaint had been properly investigated, the second victim might have been spared her ordeal.
Lauren Taylor, now 29, was raped by Provan when she was 16 after he lied about his age, claiming to be 22 when he was 31. She agreed to go to the cinema with him because he was a police officer, but he took her to woods and raped her despite her repeatedly saying no. Taylor said she 'hugged a tree' for support during the attack.
The Met has pledged to investigate missed opportunities to stop Provan, including a 2005 complaint from another female officer about 'nuisance' messages that was dealt with informally. Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe acknowledged that the force let women down and said a review is underway. The case echoes that of former Met officer David Carrick, jailed earlier this year for multiple attacks.
