A former Metropolitan Police officer has been found guilty of 13 counts of rape, kidnap and breaching a non-molestation order. Cliff Mitchell, 24, was convicted on Wednesday at Croydon Crown Court after a trial. The offences included the rape of a woman between 2020 and 2023 and the rape of a child under 13 between 2014 and 2017, before he joined the force.
Mitchell was arrested in September 2023 after a woman was seen running through a street in Hackbridge, south-west London, shouting that he had threatened her with a knife. He had gone to her address, raped her 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 she was going to be sick. The woman later said Mitchell used his position as a police officer to silence her, telling her that no one would believe her account.
Mitchell was recruited by the Met despite an earlier allegation of child rape. In 2019, police decided to take no further action after a child reported attacks between 2014 and 2017. He applied to join the Met in 2020, began training in August 2021 and served in Hounslow. The Met said his vetting clearance was in line with guidelines at the time, but added that under its reformed approach he would not be granted clearance today.
After his arrest in 2023, the earlier case was reinvestigated and prosecutors agreed to charge him with both sets of offences. The Met said a file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service in December 2023. Mitchell was dismissed from the force before his conviction. A spokesperson said the original investigation had been reviewed and found no indication of individual misconduct, but acknowledged the case would affect public confidence.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy praised the victims, saying their courage led to the conviction. He added: “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. This brazen abuse of power makes Mitchell’s actions all the more deplorable.” Mitchell will be sentenced at a later date.
