Cliff Mitchell, a former Metropolitan Police officer, has been convicted of 13 counts of rape, including three of a child under 13, as well as kidnap and breaching a non-molestation order. The 24-year-old was recruited by the Met despite being accused of raping a child.
The court heard that Mitchell raped a woman at knifepoint, blindfolded her with his hooded top, taped her mouth, and bound her hands with cable ties before forcing her into his car. She escaped by pretending to vomit. A passerby saw her running through a street in Hackbridge, south-west London, shouting for help.
The woman said Mitchell attacked her repeatedly between 2020 and 2023, using his status as a police officer to silence her, claiming no one would believe her. The child was raped between 2014 and 2017, before Mitchell joined the force. Some attacks on the woman occurred after he had been accepted as an officer.
The Met admitted that a child had reported the attacks in 2019, but no further action was taken. Mitchell applied to join the Met in 2020 and began training in August 2021, passing vetting. He was sacked before Wednesday's convictions at Croydon Crown Court.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy praised the victims' courage, stating: 'Mitchell not only carried out a sustained campaign of abuse against both of his victims, but he told one of them she would never be believed due to the fact he was a police officer.' He added that the Met is working to rid itself of those who corrupt its integrity.
