Probe launched into officers' handling of Simon Levy sex assaults before murders

Two British Transport Police (BTP) officers are under investigation over the handling of two sexual assaults carried out by Simon Levy before he murdered two women and raped a third.

Levy, 41, was sentenced to a whole-life term last week for killing grandmother Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in March last year and mother-of-four Sheryl Wilkins, 39, five months later in August 2025.

He was also sentenced for the rape of a third victim, who was left for dead near his home in Tottenham, north London, in January last year.

Levy attacked all three women, who were vulnerable sex workers, while he was on bail for carrying out a string of sexual assaults on busy London Underground and Overground trains.

He was first arrested by BTP on 4 November 2024 over attacks the previous month, but was bailed by police until January the following year, while an identity parade wasn't carried out until February.

By then he had raped a woman, who cannot be identified because she is the victim of a sexual assault.

He was bailed twice more before he was charged in May 2025, by which time he had carried out other sexual assaults and murdered Ms Valencia-Trujillo.

BTP said the force had made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog, which confirmed it would conduct an investigation.

"The IOPC investigation relates to two BTP officers and the investigation conducted into two sexual assaults carried out by Levy on the London Underground in October 2024," a BTP statement said.

"It's in the public interest for independent and objective scrutiny to be applied, and we will fully co-operate with the IOPC's independent investigation."

The force previously said the initial investigating officer had since returned to uniformed duties, while the supervising Detective Sergeant received advice and guidance and carries out a non-investigative role.

An IOPC spokesperson said: "We can confirm we have begun an independent investigation into the conduct of two BTP detectives over alleged failures to progress or supervise an investigation into two reported sexual assaults carried out by Simon Levy on the London Underground in October 2024.

"Levy was arrested in November 2024 regarding these incidents but was bailed to return to custody in January, with his bail further extended twice until May 2025 to allow for the investigation to be completed.

"During this period, Levy committed multiple further sexual assaults on trains, and other serious offences including murder and rape."

The BTP, Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have all faced serious questions over how convicted sex offender Levy was allowed to sexually assault, rape and murder women between February 2023 and August 2025.

The CPS has apologised for its failings, while the Met has also referred itself to the police watchdog, with two of its officers under investigation.

The IOPC previously said it was investigating the management of Levy from his first conviction in 2021 up to his arrest in September 2025.

(c) Sky News 2026: Probe launched into officers' handling of Simon Levy sex assaults before murders