Criminal cases that the Crown Prosecution Service take to court are in the news every day. This section also covers many issues related to our work, including violence against women and girls, hate crime, support for victims and witnesses, statistics, and speeches by the Director of Public Prosecutions and other senior staff.
Latest news
You can find our latest news stories here and search for older stories. You can also find more information about high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.
Serial rapist and former police officer David Carrick has been found guilty of serious sex offences against a further two women.During a trial at the Old Bailey this month, jurors heard how Carrick repeatedly indecently assaulted one woman when she was 12 years old.A second victim was subjected to…
Press ReleaseSexual offencesCPSThames and Chiltern
A former police officer has been jailed after being found guilty of rape, coercive or controlling behaviour, voyeurism and stalking, in relation to three women.Jake Cummings, 26 and of Hertfordshire, was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment today (23/09/25) at St Albans Crown Court - following two…
Press ReleaseSexual offencesCPSThames and Chiltern
A former advisor to the US government who flew to the UK to rape whom he believed to be a nine-year-old child has been convicted and jailed for 11-and-a-half years.International investment banker Rahamim Shy, 47, travelled to Bedfordshire from New York in February 2024 to have sex with the girl…
Press ReleaseSexual offencesCPSThames and Chiltern
A former police officer who preyed on two teenage girls by ‘befriending’ them online and then sexually exploiting them has been jailed following a successful CPS prosecution.Elliot Wright, 29, was arrested in March 2024, when a vulnerable 17-year-old girl was reported missing after getting into a…
Lisa Ramsarran, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Thames and Chiltern, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Hertfordshire Constabulary to charge David Carrick with sexual offences against two women.“David Carrick has been charged with five counts of indecent…
Press ReleaseSexual offencesCPSThames and Chiltern
A former GP who abused his position by indecently assaulting seven female patients during routine medical examinations between 1988 and 1997 has been jailed for 22 years.During a four-week trial, a jury heard how Stephen Cox, 65, touched parts of the patients’ bodies during examinations at his…
A nurse who sexually assaulted an 85-year-old woman in her home has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.Steven Hicks, 60, was one of the healthcare professionals who had been providing care to a woman after she was released from hospital following a fall.On 5 January 2022, wearing medical…
Successful initiatives in CPS Thames and Chiltern have seen a significant rise in rape cases being charged.
CPS Thames and Chiltern have seen their charge rate for rape cases increase from 60.5% in 2018-19 to 77.5% in 2019-20. This increase is a result of initiatives that the area has launched…
Press ReleaseSexual offencesCPSThames and Chiltern
Press Office contact details
Please note that our Press Office is NOT able to deal with issues or queries from members of the public - these contact details are for accredited journalists ONLY. Do not call this number unless you a member of the press. For all general enquiries, please visit contact.cps.gov.uk.
If you are a national or international journalist with a media enquiry, you can contact the CPS Press Office on 020 3357 0906 or email [email protected] (9am-5pm weekdays only).
For out-of-hours media enquiries please call 020 3357 0906 to reach the duty press officer.
If you follow us on social media, you can expect posts covering some or all of the following:
Operational updates on decisions to prosecute or take no further action;
Reactions and statements on trial outcomes;
Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
Updates on media appearances by CPS staff
Content that explains the role of the CPS and how we work
Highlighting of relevant work by our criminal justice partners and other stakeholders
We will aim to be fair and accurate in all the information we publish. We will aim to correct any inaccuracies as soon as possible.
We are unable to monitor social media round the clock. We are not able to engage with all those who seek a response from us due to resources but also due to privacy and the sensitive nature of some of our work. The best way to contact the CPS is through our website.
Please do not try to report crime using social media. To report crime, please call 101 or visit your local police station. In an emergency, always call 999.
If you follow us on social media we will not automatically follow you back. Being followed by us does not imply endorsement of any kind.
Media protocol
To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together. We are currently in the process of updating the protocol.
