Serial UK sex attacker jailed for life for double murder, rape after police failings

Simon Levy, a 40-year-old British man, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, as well as the rape of two other women, according to a judge on Wednesday. The judge described Levy as a "ruthlessly exploitative" individual who preys on others for sexual gratification.

Levy's crimes came to light after he was convicted of the murder of Valencia-Trujillo in March 2025 and the rape and assault of a third woman in January of the same year. Police had previously arrested Levy multiple times for sexual assaults committed on London's rush-hour trains before he was apprehended for Valencia-Trujillo's murder. However, due to internal police failures, Levy was released and went on to sexually assault five more women before killing Wilkins in a brutal attack.

Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police's chief, acknowledged that the force "could have done better" but emphasized the need for the justice system to perform its duties more effectively. The incident has sparked criticism, following a December report that called for improved early intervention in cases of predatory behavior. Harriet Wistrich, CEO of the Centre for Women's Justice, stated that the "catalogue of combined failures" in Levy's case highlights the "terrifying evidence" of a collapsing criminal justice system.

Judge Mark Lucraft sentenced Levy to a whole-life order, convicting him of murder, rape, and causing grievous bodily harm with intent against Valencia-Trujillo, as well as rape, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and intentional strangulation in relation to the third victim. In February, Levy was also found guilty of sexually assaulting ten women on London trains between October 2023 and May 2025, with six of the attacks occurring in early 2025, and another charge of sexually assaulting a prison officer in April 2022.

Levy was arrested in 2024 and early 2025 by British Transport Police, following suspicions related to rape and Valencia-Trujillo's murder, but was released on bail.

The Metropolitan Police has since referred the case to the police watchdog for reviewing the downgrading of Levy's risk level to medium in 2024. Both the BTP and the Crown Prosecution Service have admitted to their own failings. In response to the news, London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his "appalled" reaction to Levy's crimes and the failures across multiple agencies, calling for a comprehensive multi-agency review to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.