How Metropolitan Police failures allowed serial sex offender to kill twice

A detailed investigation has exposed how a series of institutional failures across multiple agencies left convicted sex offender Simon Levy free to murder two women in 2025. The Metropolitan Police accepted that the life of Sheryl Wilkins could have been saved had the system worked properly.

A chain of failures

Among the key errors identified: the Met downgraded Levy from high-risk to medium-risk upon his 2024 release from prison despite his record of violence — a decision now under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. After his first murder in March 2025, police failed to classify Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo's death as a homicide or refer the case to specialist detectives, even after arresting Levy and finding his DNA on the body. That delay allowed Levy to kill again. The Met and British Transport Police also both returned a stolen travel card to Levy, allowing him to travel freely and commit crimes including the first murder.

Bail failures

Between late 2024 and summer 2025, Levy was released on bail by police and courts multiple times — even after being charged with sex offences and having broken his bail conditions. British Transport Police's investigation into his train assaults was beset by delays; charges took more than six months despite video evidence. The Crown Prosecution Service has apologised for shortcomings in its attempts to have Levy remanded in custody.

Accountability

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth from the Met described the failures as a collective system failure and a tragedy beyond words. British Transport Police's Det Ch Supt Pete Fulton said the delay in his force's investigation was absolutely not good enough and amounted to incompetence by two officers since moved to other roles. Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones called for urgent answers to serious questions raised by the case. Levy was also convicted in February of sexually assaulting 10 women on London trains, a fact that can now be reported.