Deceiving women into sexual relations ‘part of work’ for spycops, inquiry told

A public inquiry is investigating the conduct of over 139 undercover officers who spied on activists between 1968 and 2010. Former undercover officer Peter Francis testified that deceiving women into sexual relationships was a routine practice within the covert unit he worked for, the Special Demonstration Unit (SDS) of the Metropolitan Police. Francis stated that senior managers permitted and even advised on these relationships during his deployment in the 1990s. He revealed that this practice was known and accepted since the early days of the SDS. Francis's testimony contradicts previous denials from senior police officers regarding such relationships. The inquiry aims to examine the extent of these practices and their impact on the targeted individuals and political movements.

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