'We go to them to be protected': Victim's fight for justice as serial rapist ex-Met police officer jailed for 16 years

22 August 2023, 15:58 | Updated: 22 August 2023, 17:45

Victim tells of her fight for justice as serial rapist former Met officer jailed for 16 years

By Charlotte Lynch

@charlotterlynch

A "Jekyll and Hyde" former Metropolitan Police officer who raped a 16-year-old girl and a female colleague has been jailed for 16 years.

Adam Provan, 44, will serve a further eight years on extended licence after being convicted of multiple rapes.

Proven was found guilty of raping a fellow police officer six times between 2003 and 2005, and twice raping a teenager whom he met on a blind date after lying about his age in 2010.

All the offences were committed while he was a serving officer in the Met's East Area Command Unit.

One of his victims, Lauren Taylor, now 29, has waived her right to anonymity to speak out about the attacks, revealing her ‘disgust’ at learning he was a police officer. She was just sixteen when he attacked her.

Provan lied about his age and said he was 22, but at the time of the rape in 2010, he was 31.

Ms Taylor told LBC: "To me – telling me his name was Adam Dawson, he’s 22, he’s a police officer, I believed [afterwards] that was just a way of getting me to trust him quite quickly. At the time I thought, I trust you, you’re a police officer. No police officer is ever going to do bad things to people.

"From then [the attack] I just thought this was all an act just to get me to trust him. I was so young and naïve and thought that it was just a whole pretence to get me to go out with him, so for years I thought he wasn’t actually a police officer. It wasn’t until I was told by the police after they arrested him. I was really shocked – really disgusted – to find out that he was working for the Metropolitan Police.

"I’m angry about who he was. He was a police officer. We go to them to be protected and I wasn’t protected. I can only blame him for that – he did this to me, no one else.

"I’m angry for the lack of remorse he’s shown throughout this whole process. I’ve been to court three times and he still fully denies what he’s done, and I feel like even after being in prison for a certain amount of years, he’s not had time to reflect, and he’s not changed. He’s still who he is and that was the reason I did the last retrial, because I wanted to make sure he didn’t get out and harm anyone else."

“I want anyone who needs to hear it hear it, and I want them to see a face, a friendly face of someone who’s been through it – a lot of it – and has come out the other side.

“The justice system has essentially given me what we wanted, I wanted justice, and now I feel like this is the important thing to do.

“I feel like me showing you who I am doesn’t define who I am. He doesn’t define who I am, what he is and does doesn’t define who I am as a person. It doesn’t define who the Met are either.

“But I feel like because of what I’ve done to get him back where he is, I’ve fought really hard for my justice for other women too, so I feel like that’s what needs to be seen.”

Provan had initially been convicted of raping the 16-year-old victim after a retrial in 2018 and jailed for nine years. He was sacked from the Met the following year.

He served three years and three months in prison before he successfully appealed against his conviction and his case was sent for a third trial.

At that trial in May, six new counts of rape were added, relating to earlier offences against the serving Metropolitan Police officer.

On Monday, Provan's wider history of predatory behaviour was laid bare at Wood Green Crown Court on the first day of his two-day sentencing.

Prosecutor Anthony Metzer KC said Provan had abused his position as an officer to gain young women's trust and had "aspects of a Jekyll and Hyde character".

He said Provan had "an extended history of allegations" of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1990s, including "stalkerish behaviour" and culminating in the rapes of the 16-year-old girl.

The defendant had 751 female contacts in his mobile phone, indicating a "fascination bordering on the obsessive" with young women, Judge Noel Lucas KC said.

Mr Metzer said the details on Provan's phone "strongly suggested" there was sexual activity with the women, many of whom were young.

In 2005 another female police officer had reported receiving "nuisance" messages from Provan, but the complaint was dealt with "informally" and not taken further.

Provan, who watched teenage pornography online, had also allegedly contacted another 16-year-old girl after she gave her details as a witness.

Julia Smart KC, defending, said all the allegations were disputed by Provan.

Speaking in court from behind a screen, the teenage victim, who is now in her 20s, said: "The day I met Adam Provan changed my life forever.

"No prison sentence will take away the harm Adam Provan has caused me. No amount of justice will make me forget the date from hell.

"Even though I tried my best to block it out I will never forget how scared I was when the assault took place, and 13 years later reliving my worst nightmare."

She said it was "sickening" to be told Provan really was a police officer as he had claimed when they first met.

Giving evidence over three trials was "traumatic" and she felt "personally attacked", she said.

The other victim, who is still a serving officer, said she "lived in constant fear" Provan would kill her and felt he saw himself as "untouchable".

The officer told the court she felt the police had not dealt with Provan and failed to protect her.

She added: "I feel guilty for people after me who came in contact with Adam, and if they suffered abuse, this has preyed on my mind."

Judge Lucas hailed the victims' bravery as he thanked them for giving their statements in court