**Title: Serial UK Sex Attacker Convicted of Double Murder, Police Under Scrutiny**
A British man, Simon Levy, has been convicted of the murders of two sex workers, raising significant concerns regarding police procedures and oversight. The 40-year-old was found guilty on Friday at London's Old Bailey for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, as well as for the rape and serious assault of a third woman.
Levy was implicated in the murder of 53-year-old Valencia-Trujillo in March 2025 and 39-year-old Wilkins in August 2025. Prior to these murders, he had a history of sexual assaults, including the rape and serious assault of a woman in January 2025. Despite being arrested in April 2025 on suspicion of Valencia-Trujillo’s murder, Levy was released due to insufficient evidence, allowing him to continue his series of assaults on women in London.
The Metropolitan Police (Met) acknowledged that mistakes were made during their investigation, which allowed Levy to escalate his criminal behavior. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth expressed regret, stating that Wilkins’ life might have been saved had the police acted differently. He confirmed that the Met has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following the downgrading of Levy's risk status from high to medium in 2024.
The Met's inability to establish a definitive cause of death for Valencia-Trujillo during the postmortem examination contributed to their decision to release Levy, as they could not confirm third-party involvement. This decision has been met with criticism, particularly after Levy was arrested multiple times by the British Transport Police (BTP) for sex attacks on trains in early 2025, including incidents that occurred after he became a suspect in Valencia-Trujillo’s murder.
Lisa Ramsarran from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) admitted that the information regarding Levy's bail was not adequately communicated to the court, stating that their actions did not meet the standards expected by victims and the public. Similarly, Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle from the BTP acknowledged that their initial investigation was not conducted swiftly enough and emphasized that procedural changes have been implemented to better handle cases involving repeat offenders.
Levy's conviction included multiple charges: murder, rape, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and intentional strangulation related to the third woman. He had previously been convicted in February for sexually assaulting ten women on London trains between October 2023 and May 2025, with a significant number of those assaults occurring in early 2025. Additionally, he faced an 11th charge for sexually assaulting a prison officer in April 2022 while serving time for a 2018 sexual assault.
In light of these events, Britain’s crime and policing minister, Sarah Jones, has welcomed the IOPC investigation into the handling of Levy’s case. She expressed her concern over the circumstances that allowed Levy to inflict further harm after being released by police and the courts, stating, “It raises serious questions that require urgent answers.”
As the investigation continues, the case has sparked a broader discussion about police protocols regarding the management of high-risk offenders and the importance of timely and effective investigations into sexual crimes. The public and advocacy groups are calling for accountability and improvements in the system to prevent similar tragedies in the future.