Women activists from Police Spies Out Of Lives expressed their disgust at the ‘blatant disregard for women’s human rights’ shown by a former undercover police officer at the official Undercover Policing Inquiry on 19 November.
The police officer, who used the name ‘Peter Fredericks’ when he spied on activists in 1971, told the inquiry that having an intimate relationship with women he was spying on was to be expected. It was like ‘sampling the product’ if he was asked to infiltrate a gang of drug dealers.
Police Spies Out Of Lives said this statement reinforced the need for the inquiry to make a finding of institutional sexism.
The Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance produced daily briefings of the inquiry proceedings during its first phase of public hearings, which dealt with the period 1968 – 1972.
The next hearings will cover 1973 – 1982, and will take place in March or April.
www.tinyurl.com/peacenews3489
www.policespiesoutoflives.org.uk
www.ucpi.org.uk