The short version
- Simon Levy has been convicted of murdering Sheryl Wilkins and Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, as well as raping a third woman in London.
- Police officials admitted that multiple procedural errors allowed the offender to remain free despite his known history of violent sexual crimes.
- Independent investigators are examining decisions by officers who downgraded Levy’s risk status, while transport police have reassigned staff for incompetence.
A jury at the Old Bailey has found Simon Levy guilty of murdering two women and raping a third in London, concluding a trial that exposed significant failures in how law enforcement monitored a known serial sex offender. The verdict comes after thirteen hours of deliberation by jurors who were given a majority direction during the proceedings. Levy, forty years old, pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included two counts of murder, two counts of rape, grievous bodily harm with intent, and non-fatal suffocation against a surviving victim. He declined to give evidence in his own defense.
The crimes occurred over a span of several months in 2025. Levy killed Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, fifty-three, in March of that year. Five months later, he murdered Sheryl Wilkins, thirty-nine. Before these homicides, he raped a third woman in January 2025 in the same Tottenham car park where Wilkins’ body was eventually discovered. The court heard that Levy targeted vulnerable women engaged in sex work on the streets. His history of violence against women dates back to July 2018 and includes an attack on a prison officer in 2022.
The Metropolitan Police has acknowledged that Wilkins’ death might have been prevented had there not been multiple points of failure in handling Levy’s case. A critical error involved the initial response to Valencia-Trujillo’s death. Although officers arrested Levy shortly after the incident and found his DNA on her body, they did not treat the case as a murder until after he killed again. This delay allowed him to remain free and commit further violence.
Additional scrutiny has fallen on British Transport Police for their handling of separate offenses committed by Levy. In February, he was convicted of sexually assaulting ten women on London’s Tube network and trains, as well as assaulting a female officer at HMP Brixton. Details from that trial have only recently become reportable. Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle stated that opportunities to expedite the investigation were missed. Consequently, two British Transport Police officers have been moved to other roles due to incompetence in handling the case.
Procedural changes are now being implemented to address these gaps. Doyle noted that linked offenses must be prioritized more effectively and that repeat offenders need to be dealt with expeditiously. He also suggested that there may be other victims of Levy who have not yet come forward, encouraging them to contact authorities. The admission of missed opportunities highlights a broader concern about how police agencies coordinate responses to high-risk individuals.
Two Metropolitan Police officers are currently under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct regarding their decision in August 2024 to downgrade Levy from a high-risk sex offender to a medium-risk category. This classification change occurred while he was still being monitored, raising questions about the criteria used to assess danger levels. The investigation aims to determine whether this decision contributed directly to the subsequent murders.
Sarah Jones, the Crime and Policing Minister, described the situation as deeply concerning, noting that Levy inflicted devastating harm after being freed by both police and the courts. She emphasized that serious questions require urgent answers and that specific failures must be identified to ensure they are not repeated. The government is under pressure to demonstrate that systemic reforms will prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The case underscores the challenges of managing offenders with extensive criminal histories who remain in the community. While Levy was subject to monitoring, the coordination between different police forces and the assessment of his risk level proved inadequate. The convictions provide a measure of justice for the families of Wilkins and Valencia-Trujillo, but they also serve as a stark reminder of the consequences when institutional safeguards fail.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- BBC News↗Serial sex offender guilty of murdering two women and raping third
