Metropolitan Police officer charged with two counts of rape
A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been charged two counts of rape, the force has announced.
Police Constable Rupert Edwards, attached to the South West Basic Command Unit, was initially arrested on Monday on suspicion of one offence and then re-arrested on Thursday on suspicion of a second rape.
He was subsequently charged with two counts of rape and is due to appear in court on Friday to answer the charges.
The offences are alleged to have taken place when Mr Edwards was off duty in Lambeth, south London on August 26 and in Surrey on September 5.
The charges relate to two women aged in their 20s and 30s, and Scotland Yards said they were being supported by specially trained officers.
Commander Jon Savell, in charge of the Met's professionalism command, said: "This news is deeply worrying and I recognise the concern it will cause the public and other police officers.
"We took immediate action to suspend PC Edwards from duty when he was first arrested in September.
"Legal proceedings are now active and it is important that I do not comment while that process takes place."
The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards and the Independent Office for Police Conduct have been informed.
