Police were 'prejudiced' after killer found guilty of double murder and rape while out on bail, women's safety group claim

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The End Violence Against Women Coalition said in a statement to LBC that they believe police may have been prejudiced against Levy’s victims as they were sex workers.

The coalition questioned police competence when it comes to prosecuting crimes against sex workers due to the magnitude and timeline of Levy's attacks.

Deniz Uğur, Deputy Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition told LBC: "Serious questions must be asked about why someone suspected of such egregious serial offending was allowed to continue perpetrating harm to women for such a long time and without the risk of intensification behind the pattern of offending being identified."

Levy, who had already been accused and convicted of multiple other cases of sexual assault in previous years, was released on bail in November 2024, and then attacked 'woman Y' in January 2025.

In her statement 'woman Y' reportedly told police that she was trafficked to the UK. Levy was not arrested.

In March, 2025, Levy killed a sex worker called Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53. He was arrested in April but was released on bail again. He then killed Sheryl Wilkins, 39, in August, 2025. He was convicted of murder in August, 2026.

Read more: How a string of failings allowed Simon Levy to stalk the streets and prey on women across London

Read more: Killer who preyed on women on the Tube for seven years found guilty of double murder and rape while out on bail

Uğur said: "The responsibility lies not only in one agency but across the justice system. Details of the police response to one of the survivors' reports calls into question as to whether rape myths, discrimination, and stereotypes played a part in the appalling service she received.

"It is well established that perpetrators of sexual offences and abuse often target women and girls they perceive as being vulnerable, and this can include victims of trafficking and exploitation and others made vulnerable by their immigration status, for example."

A British Transport Police source said: “There’s an element of incompetence in the investigation which held it up, which we’ve dealt with.

“I look across this police force day in day out, and I see fantastic work. I see people being convicted of this type of offence day in, day out.

“If you look at everything BTP stands for and everything we put out nationally about how we’re fighting the fight against violence against women and girls, that is exactly what we’re doing and trying to do it. Have we always got it right on this occasion? No. Do we strive to get it right and make improvements? Absolutely.”

Levy, 40, largely used the London tube network to assault his victims, using a stolen staff Oyster card to move around.

Prior to his 2025 arrest and bail, Levy had already been accused and convicted of multiple instances of sexual assault, including an attack on a prison officer in 2022. He was released from prison and on bail multiple times, and in each instance continued to enact a string of assaults largely on the tube network.

Two Metropolitan Police officers are now being investigated for misconduct. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Friday that it was investigating alleged failings by Met officers in their management of Levy.

The watchdog said the investigation covered “the management of Simon Levy from his first conviction in September 2021 up to his arrest in September 2025”.

The Met Police, British Transport Police (BTP) and the courts have all acknowledged failings in their handling of Levy, who remained on bail as his offending continued.

Lisa Ramsarran, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “We recognise the level of concern around this case and we have carried out a detailed review of our handling. We accept there was relevant information regarding bail that was not provided to the court, when bail applications were being considered.

“Our actions fell short of the standards that victims, families and the public are entitled to expect. In particular, there were points where we could and should have taken a more robust approach to representations about bail, based on the information available.

“We cannot know what decisions the courts would have made had different or stronger representations been advanced. But we recognise our responsibility and we are sorry for the shortcomings we have identified. We are taking action to strengthen training, case oversight and our approach to bail and risk in serious sexual offence cases"

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called Levy a "modern day Jack the Ripper," saying: “Simon Levy’s victims paid the price for a system that failed to impose consequences. No more women should have to pay that price.”

Badenoch echoed the campaigning groups' concerns about police incompetence, saying: “His case is symptomatic of the litany of failures at all levels that bedevil our criminal justice system.

“Prosecutions undermined by police blunders. Offenders escaping conviction because the Crown Prosecution Service prepared its cases so poorly. Judges hamstrung by sentencing guidelines that prevent them handing down the sort of jail terms that fit the crime.”

A senior officer in the British Transport Police blamed “incompetent” members of the investigation team, believed to be a factor in why he could roam the network for so long.

Representatives for Levy’s victims asked in a statement read by LBC: “How many women does it take for the police, whether it's the British Transport Police, or the Met, or the Crown Prosecution Service, to regard a man as a threat to women?

“How many women have to die before one man is put behind bars for good?”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Kevin Southworth, said: “We know that this case has raised questions around the way Levy was handled and we have carefully reflected on the opportunities missed to prevent his violent offending.

“It highlighted that improvements needed to be made and we have not waited for the outcome of the IOPC’s report to implement change.”