Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
China's Xi Jinping Makes First Visit To Russia Since Ukraine Invasion; Emmanuel Macron Government Survives No-Confidence Votes In Parliament; Benjamin Netanyahu Walks Back Part Of Judicial Reform Plan; New U.N. Report Warns Of Unavoidable Climate Change Problems; How U.K. Police Failed to Stop a Serial Rapist Within Force; Attorney: Cohen Paid Stormy Daniels 'On His Own'. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired March 21, 2023 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:00:32]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, I'm John Vause, ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM.
Are there limits to the no limits friendship? Is Xi Jinping willing to risk economic sanctions to supply military aid to his dear friend Vladimir Putin?
Large scale street protests turned violent in France after Emmanuel Macron's government survives two votes of no confidence for raising the official retirement age.
And now or never, carbon emissions are set to change the world forever, unless drastic widespread action is taken and taken now.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.
VAUSE: It's 7:00 a.m. in Moscow where two dear friends President Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping about to hold talks for a second day of a three day Summit.
On Monday, there were smiles and handshakes as they met at the Kremlin. Xi's first visit to Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Putin says he's willing to discuss China's 12-point peace plan, which was made public last month. The plan though does not call for Russian forces to withdraw from Ukraine, a precondition for any negotiations by Kyiv and one reason why the U.S. and others do not consider Beijing to be an honest broker.
More details are from CNN's Matthew Chance reporting in from Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's a crucial state visit, the first by a Chinese leader since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. And just days after the Kremlin's strong man was indicted for war crimes.
Now, one of the world's most isolated leaders gets to sit at the side of one of its most powerful, it's a potent alliance.
XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through translator): It is true that both of our countries share the same or similar goals. We have exerted efforts for the prosperity of our respective countries. We can cooperate and work together to achieve our goals.
CHANCE: But China has so far drawn the line at military aid for Russia's war. There are concerns that may change but right now, it's only Chinese diplomacy on the table.
The Kremlin leaning peace plan calling for talks but stopping short of demanding a Russian withdraw, a key Ukrainian demand.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We have carefully studied your proposals on settling the acute crisis in Ukraine. Of course, we will have an opportunity to discuss these issues.
CHANCE: But there's little sign Putin's open to compromise. This was the Russian leader on Sunday, driving through the captured and devastated city of Mariupol. Local residents according to state media has shown thanking him and asking to shake hands when a heckler briefly makes her voice heard.
None of this is true is the cry, it's all for show.
The Russian leader seems undisturbed.
And now with one of the world's most powerful leaders at his side in Moscow, President Putin may increasingly feel he can afford to ignore his critics.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Live now at Hong Kong CNN's Kristie Lu Stout. So, there is symbolism here that Russia has friends and Putin needs that but he needs more than symbolism. He wants military support.
So, what have we sort of learned so far about what this relationship is all about? What Putin is likely to get out of it?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, so far, the leaders of China and Russia have presented a united front in Moscow, just days after the International Criminal Court issued that arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin.
Look, on the first day of this three day state visit, the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, along with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin greeted each other as dear friends. They engaged in talks in less than in 4-1/2 hours with more talks scheduled later today. And we heard from the Chinese leader Xi Jinping who emphasize that
both China and Russia have similar goals and have very close ties. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[00:05:01]
JINPING (through translator): We are partners in comprehensive strategic cooperation. It is this status that determines that there should be close ties between our two countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: And states has already denounced this visit with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that China is providing diplomatic cover for Russia and its crimes in Ukraine. We also heard from the White House expressing concern that if China would ask for a ceasefire that that would allow Russian troops to stay inside Ukraine. Listen to what John Kirby told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, PRESS SECRETARY, PENTAGON: The ceasefire called right now would basically just ratify Russia's conquest to give Mr. Putin more time to re-equip and retrain and, and restart operations at a time and a place of his choosing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: China has been framing this state visit to Russia as a journey of peace. It comes just days after trying to score that diplomatic coup when it brokered that surprise truce between Saudi Arabia and Iran. It comes a month after it issued that 12-point peace position paper which has been roundly condemned by Western leaders. China claims to be a neutral party despite its no limits alliance with Russia, despite never condemning the Russian invasion, and despite the fact that China prefers to engage with one side more than the other.
Since the invasion, Xi Jinping has had opportunities to talk to Vladimir Putin four times including that face-to-face meeting in Uzbekistan in September last year. Xi Jinping has yet to give a single phone call to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Back to you, John.
VAUSE: We also have visit by Japan's Prime Minister who's heading off to Ukraine. What are the details there?
STOUT: You know, this is interesting, this is what we learned earlier today from the Japanese broadcaster NHK that the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is on his way to Ukraine, will be there on Tuesday, and meeting is planned between the Prime Minister of Japan and the leader of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This would be the first time a Japanese leader will have visited Ukraine, this would also be -- this is what NHK adds, the first time since World War II that a Japanese leader will be visiting a country or territory where fighting is ongoing.
Now, Japan is of course a close ally of the United States. So, all parties including and especially China and Russia, will be watching that visit very closely, John.
VAUSE: Kristie, thank you. Kristie Lu Stout live for us there in Hong Kong.
STOUT: You got it.
VAUSE: Max Boot is a columnist for the Washington Post as well as a senior fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. It's good to have you back, Max, good to see you.
MAX BOOT, COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST (on camera): Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: OK, so the White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby explained the relationship between Xi and Putin not so much as best friends forever, more of a friendship of convenience. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRBY: They don't like playing by the rules that the world order has in place. And they want to challenge U.S. leadership.
This is a marriage of convenience, not of affection. These are two countries that don't have a heck of a whole lot of trust between one another. But they find common cause and pushing back on the west and pushing back on American leadership.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So, I guess, is that a fair assessment? And if so, where does this personal relationship end? Because it does seem to be a personal friendship between Xi and Putin. How far is Xi willing to go then to support Putin?
BOOT: I think John Kirby's assessment is on the money. This is definitely a marriage of convenience. And both Xi and Putin are cold, calculating, strong men. They don't make foreign policy based on personal affection. And clearly, they both have a joint interest in challenging this American led liberal world order.
But at the same time, there are real tensions between Russia and China and I believe that China and Xi are somewhat ambivalent about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has really unsettled the world, contributed to inflation. It's created a dangerous situation in Eurasia.
And so, I think, you know, Xi is very carefully triangulating between Russia and the United States and certainly closer to Russia. But he has not gone all in on the Russian war effort, either. He is certainly not providing a lot of arms to Russia, which Russia desperately needs.
And that's what I'm watching for the most out of these Xi-Putin meetings. Is there going to be a substantial Chinese contribution to the Russian war effort? Or is this just a bunch of talk and that remains to be seen.
VAUSE: Well, here's how President Putin sees his relationship with President Xi, here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PUTIN (through translator): To me, he's a good partner, and a good friend that I can count on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So, clearly there is his friendship there. But -- and he also has high expectations from this three day long Summit, which Putin describes in an article which he wrote for the Chinese People's Daily as a landmark event, which reaffirms the special nature of the Russia- China Partnership, which has always been built on mutual trust, respect for each other's sovereignty and interests.
The problem is, it seems Xi is, well, he does not want Putin to lose in Ukraine. The support needed by Moscow from China runs a very real risk of Beijing being hit by some very tough economic sanctions and running afoul of their major trading partners in the U.S. and the E.U.
[00:10:13]
BOOT: That's right. I mean, China certainly has an economic interest in dealing with Russia, because under the threat of Western sanctions, Russia has been providing a lot of low energy, low cost energy to China. And that's been an economic boon for China.
And China, of course, has also stepped in to the Russian market and provide a lot of cell phones and microchips and other things that are no longer available because of Western sanctions. So, it's been kind of a win-win for China.
But at the end of the day, Xi understands that he has a lot more trade with the United States and with Europe than he does with Russia. So, he can't afford to completely isolate China in the world, which I think is the reason why -- or one of the reasons why he is not providing munitions to Russia.
VAUSE: In that very long, sort of thank you note that was written in the People's Daily by Putin, he also makes this point, we welcome China's readiness to make a meaningful contribution to the settlement of the crisis, that being the Ukraine crisis. And this is the peace plan being put forward by Beijing last month.
He goes on to add, Russia is open to the political and diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine crisis.
Given how much this power dynamic has changed between these two countries in the -- in the sense that Russia needs China a whole lot more than China needs Russia. Could Xi Jinping actually exert some real pressure here, just all stick no carrots on Putin to begin peace talks in earnest based on that 12-point peace plan, which does call respecting sovereign territory? BOOT: Well, there's no question that if Xi wanted to, he could certainly exert some pressure on Russia. Just imagine what would happen if China were to throttle back their purchases of Russian oil and gas, that would be a potential disaster for the Russian economy.
But there is no indication that he is doing that, which, you know, leads most analysts to suggest that his peace plan is less than sincere, that he's not actually going to try to impose peace on Russia.
In fact, under the terms of the Chinese peace plan, if both sides were to freeze their battle lines right now, that would be an advantage for Russia because Russia has occupied about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory. And that is something which is unacceptable to Ukraine and the Ukraine's backers in the West, so I wouldn't get my hopes up about China pressuring Russia.
As I said before, my real hope is that China will not do more to fuel and enable the Russian war effort. That's not so we have to hope for not that China will somehow miraculously bring Russia to the peace table.
VAUSE: Hey, Max, thank you so much, really appreciate it.
BOOT: Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: Ukraine says the strike has destroyed Russian caliber cruise missiles in the Russian occupied Crimea region. According to the defense ministry, the missiles were hit while being transported by train.
Ukrainian authorities say the strike serves to further demilitarized Russia, and prepare Crimea for de-occupation.
A Russian installed official confirmed the strike said two buildings were damaged and one person was injured.
Emmanuel Macron's government has narrowly survived two no confidence votes in the National Assembly, the first by just nine votes. And with that, the weight has effectively been cleared to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Opposition lawmakers walked out as the prime minister tried to address the Assembly on Monday, and as the no confidence votes failed, fresh protests erupted in Paris. Hundreds marched the streets chanting antigovernment slogans. Some also clashed with police. At least 70 people were detained.
CNN's Sam Kiley has more now from the French capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The government of Emmanuel Macron's ruling Renaissance party narrowly survived a vote of confidence in the National Assembly here in Paris following an attempt to unseat it, which was the result of his decision or his Prime Minister's decision to ram through legislation to raise the pensionable age in this country from 62 to 64 last Thursday.
Now, last Thursday, and in all the subsequent evenings there have been spontaneous demonstrations in Paris and elsewhere in the country. These demonstrations here in Paris have actually been more muted than they were in the previous three days with a change of tactics on the street, among the protesters moving in smaller groups, burning the large piles of garbage that have collected here in the French capital, as a result of the strike action that has been taken in response to these attempts by the government to reform the pension system as part of the wider economic reforms that Emmanuel Macron the French president has been trying to bring in.
Now, there'll be a lot more focus, though of the opposition on what will happen this coming Thursday when the unions are going to be involved in organized protests across the whole country, alongside a wide range of strikes that have already not quite crippled France but certainly affected the garbage situation here in Paris, international and local public transport and even the oil sector, those have already been affected.
[00:15:15]
But on Thursday, there'll be much wider strikes, much more organized demonstrations, much more widespread participation across the country. The union is hoping the opposition to these policies hope and that could be a test for whether Emmanuel Macron is going to stick with this policy.
But at the moment, all signs are that he will and that he'll probably succeed.
Sam Kiley, CNN in Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Concerned over the financial health of banking sector in the U.S. continues with another bank now in trouble. Despite a $30 billion lifeline from 11 of the world's largest banks, and a $70 billion loan from J.P. Morgan, First Republic bank continues to be under pressure, its stock price falling more than 45 percent to another record low Monday and S&P global downgraded for a second time within a week.
The Wall Street Journal reporting its rival banks led by J.P. Morgan are working on yet another rescue plan for First Republic.
Meantime, Credit Suisse shares were down nearly 56 percent in the red despite the plan by fellow Swiss bank UBS to buy their troubled rival for $3.2 billion. But the European Central Bank chief is promising financial stability for the euro.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE LAGARDE, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK: That I welcome the swift action and the decisions taken by the Swiss authorities. These actions are instrumental for restoring orderly market conditions and ensuring financial stability.
Let me also remind that we are monitoring market developments closely and stand ready to respond as necessary to preserve price stability and financial stability in the euro area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Here's our markets in the Asia Pacific region are doing this hour, you can see all of the green there. Hong Kong about a third of one percent, Shanghai by up just a touch, Seoul KOSPI down by -- or up rather by half a percent and Australia's ASX 200 up by almost one percent.
Well, the Israeli government appears to be bowing to public and international pressure walking back parts of its controversial judicial reform plan.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the change will give the government less power in choosing new judges, but will also have more power than it does now. And critics say that concession is not enough.
CNN's Hadas Gold has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): After nearly three months of regular protests, drawing hundreds of thousands of Israelis into the streets to protest against Benjamin Netanyahu whose government plan judicial overhaul. For the first time on Monday, a softening of sorts was announced to part of these planned reforms.
The coalition government announcing slight changes to their plans on how judges will be selected saying that instead of government appointed members of this selection committee, having a far greater majority on the committee, now they suggest that the government appointed members would only have a one seat majority and would only be able to appoint the first two seats on the high court and the following seats if they are open, would have to be appointed by a supermajority of that committee. So, a slight softening, it's an important step.
Another element is that they have agreed to within themselves to delay the votes on the other aspects of the reforms until after the Passover holiday recess that will take place at the end of April.
Initially, the government had planned to push through these reforms at record speed before Passover started in the beginning of April. Now they're saying they will take some time, they are opening the door to negotiations again, but leaders of the opposition and leaders of this protest movement rejected these changes, calling them not a softening.
Yair Lapid, the former Prime Minister now opposition leader says this is not a compromise but a hostile political takeover.
Now, these judicial reforms were one of the top subjects of a conversation between U.S. President Joe Biden and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. That's according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, telling an Israeli media reporter that that was one of the top reasons for the phone call to express American concerns over these reforms and try to encourage a compromise on them.
Now, Benjamin Netanyahu responding according to the Israeli readout that Israel was and remain a strong and vibrant democracy.
But interestingly, was actually what was not mentioned in any of the readouts from the Americans or the Israelis over the phone call. And that is any sort of invitation from Joe Biden to invite Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, to Washington D.C. for an official visit. This is something that was widely expected when Benjamin Netanyahu first came back into office at the beginning of this year that there will be an invitation from Washington rather soon.
But as of right now, there is absolutely no indication that invitation will be coming anytime soon, perhaps a reflection or an indication of the great concerns that the White House says they have over these judicial reforms and of course, other security considerations on the ground right now.
Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[00:20:11]
VAUSE: We'll take a short break. When we come back, humanity is on thin ice and that ice is melting fast. More on the dire warning from the U.N. and how to avoid disaster.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: The bottom line from the latest report on climate change from the U.N. is this, chances are will not limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And just how big of a climate disaster that the planet will face will be determined by what we do or do not do now.
Carbon pollution and rising temperatures have reached record levels. Yet, countries especially the most developed continue to burn fossil fuels into an underdeveloped nations paying the biggest price for a problem they're very small plan in making.
The U.N. Secretary General says we're nearly out of time to try and fix our mistakes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECURITY-GENERAL: Humanity is on thin ice and that ice is melting fast. Humans are responsible for virtually all global heating over the last 200 years. The rate of temperature rise in the last half century is the highest in 2,000 years. Concentrations of carbon dioxide are at their highest in at least two million years. The climate time bomb is ticking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Katharine Hayhoe is the Chief Scientist for the global environmental group The Nature Conservancy, as well as professor in public policy at Texas Tech University. Welcome back. Good to see you.
KATHARINE HAYHOE, CHIEF SCIENTIST, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY (on camera): Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: OK, so this report, unlike others, it puts in very stark and very blunt terms that sometime within the next 10 years, we're likely to pass a dangerous temperature threshold that will produce climate disasters so extreme, we will not be able to adapt, and the planet will be forever changed.
But then, here's the U.N. Secretary General.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUTERRES: The 1.5 degree limit is achievable. But it will take a quantum leap in climate action. These reports is a clarion call to massively fast track climate efforts by every country, and every sector, and on every time frame.
In short, our world needs climate protection on all fronts, everything, everywhere, all at once.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: If that is the only way to avoid some kind of climate Armageddon, we're in serious trouble because we've done nothing like that so far.
HAYHOE: We have not. But what we also know what the science is very clear on is that every action matters, every choice matters and every bit of warming we prevent matters.
So, if we try our hardest to achieve the 1-1/2 degree threshold, and we ended up at 1.6, that is still a lot better than 1.7. If we try our hardest and we end up at 1.7. That's better than 1.8.
[00:25:01]
Anything we do matters. We are already seeing irreversible changes today. But literally our future remains in our hands.
VAUSE: Well, this report also makes the point that climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and planetary health. This is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all. The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years.
That alone is terrifying. But here's the thing, we now have choices. The report clearly spells out we know what must be done, we have the ability and the technology to do that. We just have to make a choice to do it.
HAYHOE: We absolutely have choices. Why? Because we caused the problem.
All of the observed warming and then some is due to human emissions of heat trapping gases from digging up and burning coal and gas and oil, plus, deforestation and industrial agriculture.
According to Natural Factors, the planet should be very, very gradually cooling right now, but instead it's warming faster and faster.
But what that means is, it is our choice on whether to stop this. It is in our hands and we have many of the solutions now, that's what the IPCC report is very clear on. We know what to do, we can implement those solutions. And if we do, we will all benefit.
VAUSE: But what we're seeing is governments around the world making choices like these, Biden administration approves major Alaska oil drilling project, also China approved equivalent of two new coal plants a week in 2022. This list goes on, but they're the most recent ones.
What seems to be unnoticed by so many is that carbon neutral isn't enough anymore. We need to be carbon negative. And we're not very good at the carbon negative stuff right now.
HAYHOE: We are not. We certainly have nature to help us out. If we invested in nature in not just planting trees but protecting and restoring ecosystems including coastal wetlands and climate smart agriculture, nature could take up to a third of our carbon out of the atmosphere.
But that's only a third, we have to reduce our emissions, transition to clean energy, be much more efficient with the way we use our food and our energy. And we have to build resilience to the impacts that are already here today that we can no longer avoid.
We need an all of the above, all hands on deck scenario if we are going to realize that small chance that we still have of a better future.
VAUSE: Every bit matters. Katharine, good to speak to you. Thank you.
HAYHOE: Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: Still to come, widespread bullying, discrimination, institutional homophobia, misogyny and racism, all found by an investigation into London's Metropolitan Police, more on that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
[00:30:20]
A damning report on London's Metropolitan Police painting a bleak picture of Britain's largest police force. This review was commissioned in 2021 after an officer was sentenced to life in prison for rape and murder.
The independent review, led by the Baroness Louise Casey, says, in the report, "We have found widespread bullying, discrimination, institutional homophobia, misogyny, racism and unacceptable behaviors which are a far cry from the high ethical standards the public rightly expects of its police officers."
The review condemns the force and recommends it should be overhauled, or broken up. CNN's Katie Polglase takes a closer look at the case of one former Met officer who's been sentenced to 32 years in prison.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police! Everywhere! Safety! Nowhere!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police! Everywhere! Safety! Nowhere!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police! Everywhere! Safety! Nowhere!
KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE PRODUCER (voice-over): In February, former Metropolitan Police Officer David Carrick was handed 36 life sentences.
For almost 20 years, Carrick abused his position in the force to coerce and attack women. Carrying a gun became a unique feature of his abuse, using it to threaten his victims.
He had been a member of a rare armed section of the U.K. police, tasked with defending high-profile government buildings and ministers.
NATHAN BUSH: It's still baffles me how a monster was able to wear that uniform.
POLGLASE (voice-over): Nathan Bush served in the same unit while Carrick was there.
POLGLASE: Does it make you reflect differently on your time?
BUSH: It makes me question, probably, every single person that I work with.
POLGLASE (voice-over): After Carrick pleaded guilty to 71 sexual offenses, the Met Police admitted Carrick had previously come to theirs and other forces' attention nine times.
DAME CRESSIDA DICK, FORMER METROPOLITAN POLICE COMMISSIONER: We have missed opportunities, over time, to identify a pattern of abusive behavior.
POLGLASE (voice-over): CNN has spent more than a month looking into those missed opportunities, and found that, on at least two occasions, police did not follow their own procedures for handling misconduct. And, therefore, did not miss Carrick's violence but failed to treat it with the severity it deserved, leaving him free to meet further victims.
We spoke via text to one of those victims, Darciane, who met Carrick in 2020. After months of abuse, she reported him to a police station outside of London in July 2021.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "It's not easy for you to arrive at a police station and tell a policeman, I was raped by a policeman."
POLGLASE (voice-over): Carrick was placed on restricted duties and his gun removed all the investigated. But he was not suspended. Darciane ended up withdrawing her complaint.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I didn't feel protected. And whenever I went to the police station to make another statement, I asked, and nobody told me anything so I was very shaken and thinking that they didn't believe me.
POLGLASE (voice-over): Within two months, Carrick was preparing to return to full duties, armed once again. That should never have happened.
From our own research into the Met's protocol for handling misconduct cases, Darciane's allegations should have been investigated further, despite her withdrawing the complaint. And the officers assigned to the case would have had access to a searchable database that logged at least one previous incident in which Carrick was violent towards a woman.
It happened just five months before Darciane met him.
POLGLASE: In September 2019, a neighbor reported they'd seen Carrick grabbing a woman by the neck during a domestic incident in Hertfordshire.
Police there told us they sent a crime report to the Met Police, specifically to the department handling complaints against officers, known as the Directorate of Professional Standards, or the DPS.
Now according to the DPS' own guidelines, an allegation as serious as this should have been escalated.
NUSRIT MEHTAB, FORMER SCOTLAND YARD SUPERINTENDENT, NORTH AREA: It's domestic abuse, third-party reporting, so clearly, it was done in view of other people. And the fact that, in 2019, Carrick was carrying a gun, so it should have been escalated, because there's a red flag there.
POLGLASE (voice-over): But no further action was taken. The victim did not want to pursue charges at the time, but Hertfordshire Police tell CNN, that since Carrick's sentencing, they have now come forward with allegations against him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Understand you're under arrest, OK? Just --
POLGLASE (voice-over): In October 2020, Carrick was finally arrested again, when another woman came forward with a rape allegation, three months after Darciane's complaint.
DAVID CARRICK, FORMER METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICER: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) sake, I've only been a police officer for 20 years.
POLGLASE (voice-over): He was charged, and Darciane's case was reopened.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "And I told God and myself, thank you Lord for showing up another victim, so now they believe me."
POLGLASE (voice-over): She's not alone in this experience. Out of 573 Met Police officers accused of sexual offenses by the public over 11 years, just two were charged.
To add to the horror, the Met has confirmed that two of Carrick's colleagues have been placed on restricted duties after contacting one of his victims. Sky News reported they'd been sending sexually- suggestive messages to her.
[00:35:00]
As yet, no police officer has faced any consequences for failing to stop Carrick for so many years. The U.K.'s police watchdog has now reopened a review into the handling of Carrick's case, despite previously saying they had no cause to investigate.
And the force continues to struggle to prove it can keep women safe and hold its officers to account.
Katie Polglase, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: CNN has reached out to the Met Police for this investigation, and they refused us to -- they referred us, rather, to their existing statements on Carrick. They said they will not be commenting further while there are government reviews ongoing into how the case was handled.
A senior U.N. official says the widespread violations of human rights committed by Iranian authorities since the death of Mahsa Amini may amount to crimes against humanity.
A report by the special rapporteur also found the 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman was killed as a result of beatings by state Morality Police, disputing Tehran's claim that Amini died from pre-existing medical conditions.
He added there was a sharp increase in executions in Iran last year, as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAVAID REHMAN, U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN: The scale and gravity of the violence committed by Iranian authorities, especially since the death of Miss Amini, points to the possible commission of international crimes, notably the crimes against humanity of murder, imprisonment and forced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual violence, and persecution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Amini's death, in custody of the Morality Police, sparked widespread protests across Iran.
The World Health Organization says Somalia is racing its time to prevent avoidable deaths. A new report says drought led to the deaths of some 43,000 people last year. Half of those were under the age of five.
UNICEF says conditions in Somalia are made worse by climate change and political instability.
Well, new details about the possible indictment of Donald Trump. Just ahead, the latest on who paid Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about her alleged affair with the former president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: New York City is stepping up security around the office of the Manhattan district attorneys ahead of a possible indictment of Donald Trump.
Police unloaded barricades and installed surveillance cameras around the courthouse. New York's mayor says there are no credible threats to the city, despite Trump's call for protests.
Sources tell CNN an indictment could come at any time, but a court appearance by the former president would not happen before next week.
Former legal adviser to Trump's one-time bag man, Michael Cohen, says Cohen decided, on his own, to pay $130,000 in hush money to the adult films star, Stormy Daniels.
That payment is at the center of a case for Manhattan prosecutors. And CNN's Paula Reid has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Manhattan D.A.'s investigation into Trump's alleged role in hush-money payments made to an adult film star, ahead of the 2016 election, is moving ahead, full-steam.
ROBERT COSTELLO, FORMER ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL COHEN: I went in there today to tell these people the truth about who the real Michael Cohen is and what he was actually saying at that moment in time.
[00:40:00]
REID (voice-over): Attorney Robert Costello appeared before the New York grand jury after Trump's legal team requested he be called to testify about the credibility of former Trump fixer, Michael Cohen. Costello spoke to reporters today.
COSTELLO: He said, maybe every three or four minutes, he'd be talking to us while pacing like a wild tiger in a cage -- back and forth, back and forth. He was really frazzled. He looked like he hadn't slept in three, four, five days.
And he just suddenly stopped in the middle of talking about something, point at us. And he'd say, I want you guys to know, I will do whatever the 'F' it takes. I will never spend one day in jail.
He must have said that close to 20 times. This was his mantra, all day long.
REID (voice-over): Costello previously represented Cohen, who, according to a letter the Trump team sent to the D.A., waived attorney-client privilege.
Cohen, who has met with the D.A.'s office 20 times and appeared before the same grand jury twice, is a key witness in this case, which centers around a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump. She was paid by Cohen in the final days of the 2016 campaign.
Now, almost seven years later, the grand jury is looking at crimes that include whether Trump falsified business records when reimbursing Cohen for that payment.
Cohen was sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty to campaign finance charges stemming from his involvement in the payments.
MICHAEL COHEN, FORMER ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: This case is not going to be predicated on any one individual, but rather, it's going to be predicated on the documents, the evidence. The text messages, the e-mails.
REID (voice-over): On Truth Social over the weekend, Trump predicted he would be arrested Tuesday, and in an echo of January 6th, called for his supporters to protest.
But his spokesperson said they had received no indication from the D.A. that he will be arrested Tuesday.
REID: Is your client speculating about an arrest to incite political violence?
ALINA HABBA, ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: I don't think he's speculating at all.
REID (voice-over): Trump denies the affair and any wrongdoing. One of his attorneys, Alina Habba, warning that Trump supporters will lash out if he is charged.
HABBA: If they choose to do so, for a misdemeanor, which, frankly, he didn't even do, it is going to cause mayhem.
REID: It's not clear if the grand jury will be hearing from any additional witnesses or when the grand jury may vote on a possible indictment.
But we're hearing from sources that the former president's legal team does not expect anything to happen on Tuesday, and if there is an indictment this week, they do not expect any self-surrender or initial appearance until next week.
Paula Reid, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Prosecutors in Georgia say, while they're watching the New York case closely, it will not affect their own investigation of Donald Trump.
A source tells CNN they're now considering racketeering and conspiracy charges, based on Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and the Fulton County district attorney could decide on charges within the next three months.
Attorneys for Trump call the investigation illegal and unconstitutional. They've asked the judge to throw out the evidence and the grand jury report.
I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM, but first WORLD SPORT starts after the break. See you soon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:45:15]
(WORLD SPORT)
