A former Metropolitan Police officer has been sentenced to seven years in prison for raping an officer after a New Year’s Eve party in London.Rupert Edwards, 33, was found guilty of rape after accompanying the woman home in the early hours of January 1, 2018. Southwark Crown Court heard the attack occurred when two officers were off duty after celebrating the New Year.According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the victim was extremely drunk during the party and had little memory of the events leading up to the attack. Prosecutors said Edwards diverted a booked taxi home and instead headed to the woman’s address where the rape occurred.The woman later recalled waking up next to Edwards and finding them both naked. She told the court she never consented to sex and was shocked by what happened. Edwards later sent her a message asking to meet again for another sexual encounter, prosecutors said.When Edwards was sentenced, the court also imposed a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim or going to a place where the victim might be present.In a statement read in court, the woman said the rape had left her mentally shattered and a conviction would not undo its lasting impact. “A conviction does not give me closure. I will continue to live with the effects of what he did,” she said.The victim reported the assault to police in 2023, an investigation was launched and Edwards was arrested the following year. He was later charged and, following a trial, found guilty of one count of rape.
