Bethan David, deputy chief crown prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service London, said prosecutors had concluded there was sufficient evidence to bring the case and that prosecution was in the public interest.
“We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police as they have carried out their investigation into the allegations,” David said.
The decision marks a significant change from Scotland Yard’s position in March 2022. At that point, police said the information available did not meet the threshold required to open a criminal investigation. A new inquiry began three years later and has now produced six charges.
Authorities have not publicly explained what evidence or circumstances prompted that change. Nor has available reporting established whether the information assessed in 2022 was identical to the material considered during the later investigation. Legal timelines rarely provide the neat narrative structure television tends to promise.
What support are the five women receiving?
Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney, whose team is leading the investigation, said the women connected with the charges continue to receive help from specially trained officers.
“We urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault to contact police,” Cagney said. “The information you provide will be dealt with in the utmost sensitivity and we have trained investigators on hand to support you.”
Police also directed survivors to the independent charity Rape Crisis and its 24-hour Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line.
The current prosecution relates specifically to allegations involving five women and conduct said to have occurred over a nine-year period. That is narrower than the group involved in The Guardian’s original 2021 investigation, which reported allegations from more than 20 women.
Published reporting has not established whether, or to what extent, the five women in the criminal case overlap with those who spoke to the newspaper. Treating the two groups as interchangeable would therefore be an assumption, not a fact.
How does the libel case fit into this?
Before the criminal charges, Clarke brought a libel claim against The Guardian over eight articles published as part of its investigation. He argued that the reporting was false and that he had been targeted by a conspiracy.
Following a six-week trial in 2025, Mrs Justice Steyn dismissed the claim and found the eight publications substantially true. In her judgment, she described Clarke overall as “not a credible or reliable witness.” The newspaper later reported that he was ordered to pay an initial £3 million contribution toward its legal costs.
That ruling forms part of the background, but it does not decide the criminal case now before the courts. Libel proceedings and criminal prosecutions involve different parties, evidence and legal standards. The civil judgment cannot be treated as a verdict on the six criminal charges.
The distinction is not a technical courtesy. In the criminal proceedings, prosecutors must prove the charges in court, and Clarke is presumed innocent unless convicted.
What happens next?
Clarke’s first scheduled appearance is at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 21 October. At that hearing, the charges will be formally addressed and the court will determine the next procedural steps.
The Crown Prosecution Service has warned that proceedings are active. David said there must be no reporting, public commentary or online sharing that could prejudice the case or interfere with Clarke’s right to a fair trial.
That warning applies well beyond traditional media. Social platforms may encourage instant verdicts from anyone with an account and several seconds to spare, but contempt rules remain considerably less enthusiastic.
For now, the established position is limited and clear: Clarke faces six charges involving five women, the alleged conduct dates from 2007 to 2016, and the case is due before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in October.
