Serial sex attacker Simon Levy, 40, has been convicted of murdering two women and almost killing a third while on police bail. Levy suffocated Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in March 2025, and then used the same method to kill Sheryl Wilkins, 39, five months later. He was also found guilty of violently raping another woman in January 2025, leaving her near death.
Detectives believe Levy may have committed scores of offenses over years, potentially carrying out daily attacks. His prior record includes convictions in February 2026 for 11 sexual assaults committed between April 2022 and May 2025. In total, Levy has been convicted of two murders, two rapes, one near-fatal suffocation, and 13 sexual assaults.
The case has sparked calls for a public inquiry, with campaigners arguing that it undermines promises from police and prosecutors to address violence against women and girls, particularly in the wake of high-profile cases involving police perpetrators. Authorities suspect that other victims may not have come forward.
The Murders and Investigation
Levy's first known murder victim, Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, was found in the stairwell of a disused block of flats in Southwark, southeast London, on March 17, 2025. The court heard that her neck had been compressed and her face smothered, with a pipe smeared with Levy's blood found nearby. Police visited Levy on April 1 as part of routine checks on convicted sex offenders, but he falsely claimed he never went out. He was released on bail after the post-mortem examination of Ms. Valencia-Trujillo listed the cause of death as unascertained.
Levy committed his second murder on August 28, 2025, smothering Sheryl Wilkins and leaving her body in a car park near his home, the same location as the earlier rape attack. He was arrested on September 5 after being identified by facial recognition cameras at the scene and was remanded into custody three days later.
Systemic Failures and Reactions
Details of Levy's earlier convictions for sexual assaults were withheld before the murder trial to avoid prejudicing proceedings. Following the verdict, criticism has been directed at the criminal justice system. Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth stated that police were quick to acknowledge their errors and had self-referred to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) to investigate what officers knew and should have done. He described Levy as a "prolific predatory monster" and acknowledged a "collective system failure" that allowed him to continue offending.
Southworth admitted that Levy did not initially stand out among the approximately 10,000 registered sex offenders in London and was not on the Metropolitan Police's list of the most dangerous offenders. He noted the growing number of sex offenders managed in the community, which increased by 1,000 in the past year, presenting significant challenges.
Lisa Ramsarran, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), acknowledged that relevant information was not provided to the court during bail applications and apologized for the shortcomings. Harriet Wistrich, chief executive of the Centre for Women’s Justice, described the case as shocking due to the numerous missed opportunities to apprehend Levy. She expressed a lack of confidence in the criminal justice system, citing routine failures at multiple stages, and called for an independent investigation or public inquiry.
Concerns have also been raised by police chiefs regarding potential impacts of proposed justice reforms. The National Police Chiefs Council estimates that changes to sentencing, including fewer short prison sentences and earlier release of inmates, could lead to a six percent increase in crime. Sir Mark Rowley, Britain's top police officer, has warned that dangerous offenders who would previously have been remanded in custody are now being granted bail, leading to repeated offending.