Judges condemn the Metropolitan police after Kate Wilson wins landmark spy cop case, exposing gross misconduct and betrayal.
In a landmark ruling on September 30, 2021, judges harshly criticized the Metropolitan Police for violating the human rights of Kate Wilson, an environmental and social justice activist. Wilson’s case stemmed from a decade-long investigation into her intimate relationship with an undercover officer, Mark Kennedy, who infiltrated left-wing groups for years. The relationship lasted over a year, with Kennedy never revealing his true identity as a police officer tasked with spying on Wilson and her political associates.
The tribunal found that the police had committed multiple human rights violations, including degrading treatment of Wilson, who had unknowingly been manipulated and deceived. The judges ruled that senior officers either condoned or ignored the misconduct, stating that there was a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that allowed officers to exploit women sexually as part of their operations. They noted that there seemed to be a significant lack of interest in protecting women’s human rights within the police force.
Wilson, who fought much of the case herself due to financial constraints, expressed that the police’s failure to protect women from sexual abuse within their ranks remains a critical issue. She acknowledged the tribunal’s recognition of the deep abuses that went unchecked, not only within the police force but also in the broader context of how protesters are often criminalized. The tribunal’s ruling serves as a stark reminder of the extent of the failings in the covert operations carried out by the police, which were described by the judges as disturbing and lamentable.
The ruling has sent shockwaves through both human rights and law enforcement communities, calling for greater accountability and systemic reform to prevent further abuses of power in such covert operations.
