A woman who survived an attack by double murderer Simon Levy says police failures allowed him to remain free and attack more women years later.
_x000D_Laura, who has chosen not to use her surname, reported Levy to police in 2018. She believed her decision could help protect other women. Instead, she later discovered that Levy had gone on to assault 14 more women and murder two.
_x000D_Levy was convicted on Friday of murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins in London in 2025. He was also convicted of raping another woman. A court will sentence him on Wednesday.
_x000D_Earlier this year, Levy was convicted of sexually assaulting 11 other women. Ten of those attacks took place on trains and the London Underground between 2023 and 2025.
_x000D_ _x000D_Police failures left women at risk
_x000D_Laura says Levy’s original attack changed her life. She now believes the authorities could have prevented further crimes if they had acted differently.
_x000D_“I feel absolutely devastated for all of those women that have been affected by him – and the families,†she said.
_x000D_Laura also criticised the Metropolitan Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts.
_x000D_She believes a series of decisions allowed Levy to remain in the community despite his history as a sex offender.
_x000D_“They could have prevented so many women from being hurt,†she said. “They could have prevented two women from losing their lives.â€
_x000D_ _x000D_Laura reported Levy after the 2018 attack
_x000D_Laura met Levy while travelling with a friend to the Notting Hill Carnival in August 2018.
_x000D_According to Laura, Levy followed the two women after approaching them on the London Underground. He later sexually assaulted her.
_x000D_She managed to force him away and, with her friend, tried to escape. Levy continued following them until a group of men intervened after Laura told them what had happened.
_x000D_Laura says she then approached police officers for help but felt they did not take her report seriously.
_x000D_She says two officers told her they were dealing with other, more urgent matters. A third officer eventually took her details.
_x000D_Laura says officers did not search for Levy that day, even though she and her friend had a photograph of him.
_x000D_The Metropolitan Police later said a crime report was created the following day. The force said officers carried out a range of enquiries before identifying and arresting Levy.
_x000D_ _x000D_Levy was convicted but later released
_x000D_Laura eventually provided a statement 15 days after the assault. She also attended an identification parade the following year.
_x000D_The case took three years to reach court.
_x000D_In 2021, a court convicted Levy of sexually assaulting Laura and another woman. He received a three-year prison sentence.
_x000D_However, authorities later released him on licence despite a further sexual assault conviction involving a prison officer.
_x000D_Levy subsequently returned to the community and continued offending.
_x000D_ _x000D_Earlier investigation raised concerns
_x000D_Laura later discovered that police and prosecutors had investigated Levy over an alleged sexual assault in 2017.
_x000D_Authorities did not charge him at the time. The Met Police and CPS have since regarded the decision as a mistake.
_x000D_Laura says the earlier case has left her wondering whether her own attack could have been prevented.
_x000D_“Had they charged him in 2017, I may not have even ever had to go to court. I may never have been assaulted, ever,†she said.
_x000D_ _x000D_Survivor calls for change
_x000D_Laura learned about Levy’s murder case earlier this year after searching his name online.
_x000D_“My heart dropped in my stomach when I read that,†she said.
_x000D_She says the discovery brought back the fear and distress surrounding her own experience. She also realised that the nightmares she had suffered over the years reflected what other women were experiencing.
_x000D_Laura now wants authorities to change how they respond to violence against women and girls.
_x000D_She says victims should receive immediate support, have their reports taken seriously and receive better protection throughout investigations.
_x000D_“I hope that other victims in the future will be believed, will be dealt with differently, will be listened to straightaway,†she said.
_x000D_Her experience has also raised wider questions about how police, prosecutors and courts handle repeat offenders.
_x000D_ For Laura, the issue is no longer only about what happened to her. She believes earlier intervention could have protected many other women and potentially prevented two deaths.