Thread by @copscampaign

The #SpyCopsInquiry resumes with an opening statement from Phillippa Kaufmann QC, representing 'Category H Core Participants' (Individuals in Relationships with Undercover Officers)

It's clear that in the era examined 1973-82, numerous #SpyCops had sexual relationships with women - those they spied on & those they came into contact with socially while undercover.

We were told it was infrequent, but the documents now give a different picture. 8 officers in 5 years. HN300 & perhaps HN67 had children with women they'd spied on.

The practices & culture established in this period lead to what came later. It shows the long running sexism which infected this unit.

Madeleince was only contacted in Feb 2020, & given a lawyer late in the year, yet she was known when the Inquiry dealt with 'Vince Miller'. Why wasn't she contacted earlier? Why were we assured a woman would tell her then a man was sent?

Why wasn't Madeleine put in touch with @out_of_lives as promised?

In 2017 Miller gave the name of the other SWP member he had sex with, why did the Inquiry wait 3 years to start trying to find her? Miller also admitted sex with 2 other women that he wasn't spying on. Why didn't the Inquiry tell us about that straight away?

Those other 2 women were also deceived by a paid state character who was the opposite of what he claimed. This isn't a private matter for the officer. We have no idea if other spycops have also already admitted to having sex with women they weren't spying on

Spycops lie about this. Jim Boyling told the Met that @rosawithanny had nothing to do with his target group, a complete lie. Any spycop using their identity to deceive women into sex is abuse of power & a violation of the women & it needs investigating

The Counsel to the Inquiry told us yesteday they won't investigate every relationship - but why isn't it telling us about ones they know about, & if the /Inquiry is trying to find the women?

Trust is a major issue for these deceived women. The lack of Inquiry transparency generates anxiety, distrust & fear.

We know that when the Inquiry grnated 'Vince Miller' anonymity it knew he admitted to sex with 2 women, & accepted his version at face value & called his deployment 'unremarkable' & he did not deserve his real name publishing because he deserves privacy

The order to protect his name will be revoked. Why is this, apart from the fact that Madeleine is now actively involved in the Inquiry? Why does that make the difference, given his acts remain unchanged? Why did he ever deserve anonymity?

Any spycop who deceives someone into sex they forfeit their right to anonymity. It was not necessary to their deployment. it was gratuitous & grossly intrusive invasions of citizens lives.

HN21 admitted in 2019 that he had sex with 2 women while undercover, yet still has anonymity. Why?

The last Inquiry hearings identified spycops by their cipher numbers so we knew which officer said what. This time, we'll get blended gisted statements so we don't know what deeds were done by which officer. There's no reason why we can't have individually identifiable disclosure

When spycops give evidence in secret 'closed hearings', we will be demanding that any evidence taken that can be released should be released, only keeping secret that which is strictly necessary.

In the era 1973-82 8 officers deceived women into sexual relationships.
HN302 began deployment in 1973, admits 1 sexual encounter with a woman from another group rather than the one he spied on. He said 'circumstances presented themselves'

HN302 says it wasn't necessary to deployment and he didn't think it important.

Rick Gibson had relationships with 'Mary' & her flatmate in 1975, & 2 women in Big Flame. He told his cover officer it caused his cover to be compromised. Implies he told women different stories & they realised.

They found the birth & death certificates of the child whose identity he'd stolen. Mary & Richard Chessum's statement tomorrow will give more detail.

HN300 Jim Pickford fell in love & wanted to tell the woman the truth about him. Another officer helped him tell the SDS. His wife found out & the marriage ended. He married & had a child with the new woman, though that marriage didn't last & she can't be found.

HN21 admits to occasional sexual encounters with women he knew from an evening class.
HN106 Barry Tompkins is mentioned in a security liason note as having a relationship, though he denies it. The Inquiry hasn't called him to give evidence.

Vince Miller deceived Madeleine & 3 other women into relationships. He lied to the Inquiry about it. He's blamed it on having been drunk every time. He is adamant it was 1occasion, Madeleine is clear it was an ongoing relationship of months. Her diary says he never stayed a night

Phil Cooper HN155 officer told the Inquiry he had several relationships, but now denies having said it

HN67 Alan Bond lived with Vince Miller before Miller was deployed. He may have had a child while undercover. He went on to be 2nd in command of the SDS in the 1990s

Bond oversaw John Dines, Matt Rayner, Bobby Lewis & Andy Coles. His attitude to this issue is vital to establish.

HN126 Paul Gray was alleged to have an affair with a fellow officer, in a letter thought to be from his wife. Met found allegations 'were not totally accurate'. Does that mean it was someone he was spyinw on?

A third of officers 1973-82 are established to have had sex while undercover. There may be more. But the Inquiry is only calling one, Vince Miller, for evidence. This issue is a major part of the reason for the Inquiry, it should not be disregarded/

Sexism was endemic in the SDS - reports rate women's attractiveness & comment on the size of breasts. No account was taken of impact on their wives & families. Again, the welfare of women was not important.

When Paul Gray's wife alleged an affair the only concern was protecting secrecy of the unit, not for her welfare.

Sandra, the 1st female SDS officer, had her welfare totally disregarded. She was just a tool to spy on women's groups closed to men. She was given no protection eg returning from meetings late at night.

Spycops gave no thought to the dignity of women, to their right to choose who they had sex with, the risk of harm if they found out the truth, or what would happen if they got pregnant. Most officers readily admit there was no necessity for these relationships

It appears Rick Gibson may have deliberately targeted women in order to reach an influential position in the group he was infiltrating. This is hugely significant for the management.

Spycops targeted numerous women's organisations that were no threat to public order, it was just a deep hostility to women's equality.

With at least a third of officers having sex with women while undercover, management cannot claim ignorance. By 1971 they knew deployments were going to be long, about 4 years.

It was clear spycops were becoming important activists & socialising. Deploying married officers clearly didn't prevent them deceiving women into sexual relationships.

spycop Graham Coates (1976-79) reports officers making joke references to sexual relationships in front of managers, who were 'deliberately blind'. Jim Pickford and Rick Gibson had reputations for it.

Why would Coates be lying? In which case, the other 'amnesia' officers must be lying. We've confirmed the officers Coates names did in fact have such relationships. His account is clearly credible.

The SDS 1974 annual report say security is top priority, & the frequent meetings of all spycops keep close tabs on what officers are doing and feeling. Later ones reiterate there is constant contact with supervisors & very close monitoring of every spycop.

There's no question that supervisors would have listened carefully to what spycops reported. Officers must be hiding the truth from the #SpyCopsInquiry. We can't take their word at face value.

We know Pickford & Gibson's relationships were disclosed to managers, & they suspected Tompkins. They absolutely knew it went on, & they did nothing. The message to #Spycops is that there's nothing wrong with it. Doing nothing to safeguard the women is institutional sexism.

From the early days, the SDS had a culture of #spycops using the bodies of women as a perk of the jobs. A state institution that exists to serve the public they're abusive. It is deeply misogynistic. And it appears to have become part of the armoury of tactics.

If Alan bond fathered a child while undercover, it has major implications. But he won't give evidence due to ill health. The Inquiry has known of his condition for 3 years yet ha not take a statement.

After all this, a 1981 Special Branch memo refers to spycop Miss Pelling who infiltrated CPGB in 1921. She remmebers colleagues as gentlemen who never took liberties. 'This, naturally, is as true as the present Branch's treatment of the fairer sex as it was in Miss Pelling's day'

The Inquiry needs the help of those who were spied on - not just contacted and involved, but given full disclosure of documents with plenty of time so they can expose the lies.

'Alison', deceived into a relationship by spycop Mark Jenner in the 1990s, has highlighted lies in the reports about her. She's told Jenner's reports don't identify her even when she was at events. He appears to have deliberately written himself and her out of reports

Alison can shed light and show the lies, and the real impact Jenner had. So many like that for this Inquiry phase 1973082 could do the same but won't get chance.

Spycop Mark Kennedy told the Home Affairs Select Committee that the 'two' women he had sex with [real number at least 11] were of no use for intel.

Yet at this moment, one of those women, Kate Wilson, is at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal abundantly proving she was a main target of Kennedy's. Spycops lie, the women can prove this.
#WeStandWithKate

The new extra delays to the Inquiry are simply cruel to the people waiting for answers. Women deceived into relationships by spycops should be given the documents about them now. The Met have said they're happy to do it if the Inquiry decrees it. campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2021/04/20/new…

the Inquiry Chair, Sir John Mitting, says that delays are inevitable and 'perhaps the request cannot be fulfilled'. He gives no reason at all as to why this might be.

There will now be a break until 1.05pm, when we'll hear from the last person today, Matthew Ryder QC, representing anti-apartheid activists Ernest Rodker, Professor Jonathan Rosenhead & Lord Peter Hain, 7 Blair Peach's partner Celia Stubbs

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