British special court convicts police of sexual relations

Inquiry Power Tribunal (IPT) in London yesterday Punishment for using undercover agents against leftist activities. The Metropolitan Police has violated an “impressive list” of basic human rights. British citizen Kate Wilson was sued talks about sexual abuse and recovered after ten years of trial. “It was a long and emotional journey, and I’m glad I got the verdict today,” said the activist, now 41. to a campaign group. Your Lawyer: Inside Declared the decision as a milestone.

In a separate hearing, the IPT seeks to decide on further legal remedies, including plaintiff’s compensation and court perception and legal fees. Before another court, Wilson sued for damages along with other womenBecause undercover agents had a relationship with him for nine years. The police had to do so at the behest of the affected. publicly apologized, seven women eventually received compensation.

at least 27 cases

The Investigative Powers Tribunal is a special tribunal that has jurisdiction over complaints against officers with supervisory powers. Earlier decisions against the police and related secret services, for example, illegal mass surveillance by the hearing center GCHQ, as became known through the Edward Snowden revelations.

The focus of the now settled complaint was on the deployment of Police Officer Mark Kennedy, who worked under an identity on behalf of the Metropolitan Police. He seduced ten women into intimate and sexual relationships lasting six years. It remains to be seen whether those affected were the targeted individuals or women in their environment.

Members of the National Public Order Policing Unit (NPOIU), which is responsible for the undercover investigation, have exploited at least 26 other women in this manner, despite a formal ban. The court confirmed that the police officers with whom undercover police officers communicate on a daily basis have been informed. However, these may be viewed differently according to the motto “don’t ask, don’t say anything”.

Violation of the Convention on Human Rights

Because sexual relations primarily pertain to women, according to the 156-page ruling, it is sexist discrimination in accordance with Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In addition, other fundamental and human rights guaranteed in the Convention were violated, including the right to a life free from inhuman and degrading treatment (Article 3). The police have failed to take precautions against such hand-to-hand operations.

In a statement, Wilson also criticized “police misogyny and institutional sexism”. The powers of the police to supervise demonstrations will have to be radically reconsidered.

This attitude is confirmed in the judgment. Accordingly, police measures affected Wilson’s right to freedom of expression and association (Articles 10 and 11 ECHR). The right to private and family life was also violated (Article 8). Police officers Kennedy accompanied Wilson to her grandmother’s funeral and pretended to be consoling her as an alleged accomplice.

The Metropolitan Police admitted some of the charges but denied any discrimination against women and violations of their right to freedom of assembly. The court, however, clarified that it was not only the infiltration of suspicious groups. In many cases, police officers were smuggled into a “legitimate organization” to go into the vicinity of suspects and thereby obtain valuable information. In the judge’s ruling, it has been criticized as a “fishing operation”.

further research

Activist became Wilson NPOIU. spied on by a total of six undercover agents of. It first became known in the context of a judge-led Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI), which was used in 2015 to clarify new charges against the unit. It is an independent public inquiry aimed at dealing with all misconduct of a police unit since it was established in 1968 and to About 250 stuff: listens inside.

According to media reports, NPOIU had infiltrated around 1,000 groups, the judges have confirmed this and cover name Some At least 169 undercover agents: Inside revealed. Police officers used the legend under other names of deceased children after it became known created panic among his parents. In at least two cases, police gave birth to children in a sexual relationship.

The judicial investigation is limited to undercover policing in England and Wales. However, it became known, among other things, that British police spies had participated in a demonstration known as “Bloody Sunday” in Derry, Ireland in 1972. The Government of London had always denied this. Missions also took place at the European Union summit in Ireland in 2004 and the G8 summit in Scotland in 2005.

Suspicious mission in Germany too

NPOIU members were active all over the world, operated only by Kennedy. As far as eleven European countries are known As well as the United States. Since 2005 he has traveled to Berlin several times, participating in protests and committing crimes in the process. In addition to Kennedy, a dozen other British undercover agents or informers were sent to the G8 summit in Heiligendamm in 2007. The ongoing UCPI investigation is likely to continue until 2025. The British Home Office does not want to investigate what Kennedy did in Germany.

“The IPT ruled yesterday that Kennedy’s operations and her permits by her police officers were illegal. There should therefore be an investigation into how this affects the work she has done overseas,” Kate Wilson told netzpolitik Said from .org.