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 two murders, two rapes, and various sexual assaults, following a series of predatory crimes that law enforcement failed to prevent. The judge, Mark Lucraft, described Levy as someone who "ruthlessly exploits others for your own personal, sexual satisfaction" before imposing a whole-life order on him.

Prosecutors allege that Levy murdered 53-year-old Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo in April 2025, and 39-year-old Sheryl Wilkins in August of the same year. He also raped and seriously assaulted a third woman in January of that year. Prior to these heinous acts, Levy had been arrested multiple times for sexual assaults on women using London's rush-hour trains.

However, he was released and went on to sexually assault five more women before murdering Wilkins. The Metropolitan Police's chief, Mark Rowley, stated that the force could have done better and acknowledged that the criminal justice system needs improvement. The case has sparked criticism, with Harriet Wistrich, CEO of the Centre for Women's Justice, calling the failures "terrifying evidence" that the system is in collapse.

Judge Lucraft sentenced Levy for two counts of rape, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and intentional strangulation against a third victim. Additionally, he was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 women on London trains between October 2023 and May 2025, six of those attacks occurring in early 2025. An 11th charge of sexually assaulting a prison officer in April 2022 was also found against him.

Levy was arrested by British Transport Police multiple times but was released on bail each time. The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the police watchdog for downgrading Levy to a medium-risk offender in 2024, and both the BTP and Crown Prosecution Service have admitted to some failures. London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his appall at Levy's crimes and the failures across multiple agencies, calling for a multi-agency review to prevent such incidents from happening again.