A woman duped into a relationship by an undercover police spy says it is unacceptable for other spy cops’ identities to be concealed when politicians and Hollywood stars are being held accountable for historic sex abuse.
Mark Jenner, a married father who went by the alias Mark Cassidy, embarked on a five-year relationship with “Alison” in 1995. At the time she was an activist at the Colin Roach Centre in Bradbury Street, Dalston, where allegations of police corruption were being investigated.
Alison – a pseudonym she is using to protect her children – is one of seven women who received an apology and compensation from the Met in 2015 after unknowingly becoming involved in long-term relationships with undercover officers. They want Sir John Mitting, who is leading the Undercover Police Inquiry, to release the fake and real names of others in Jenner’s unit and other police spies, so the extent of the Met’s deception can be known by victims.
It has come to light in the inquiry that more than 1,000 environmental, anti-racist and animal rights groups, left-wing and far-right parties have been infiltrated since the ’60s. But two years since the inquiry launched, lawyers for the Met are still submitting legal applications to keep secret the spies’ identities.
Alison told the Gazette: “In the current climate politicians and Hollywood stars are being held accountable for their actions in their real name, however long ago.
“They can’t hide and that rightly so has an impact on them now - whereas our lot can hide behind their names.
“This is sex abuse within the heart of the state and yet these people are being given special privileges which I don’t understand – why would they be treated differently from anyone else who has behaved badly in society?”
Mitting is “minded” to release alias names if he is satisfied an officer had a relationship with a woman. Evidence is not expected to be heard until 2019, because of the legal submissions.
“The Met seems to be doing their best to obfuscate, and wait until we all die or give up,” said Alison.
“I think there is a deliberate tactic to grind people down. I know some people are extremely disillusioned and ready to walk away from it. But we can’t because that’s what they want.”
A spokesman for the Met said: “The terms of reference for the inquiry are a matter for others than the MPS to determine.
“We understand the public interest and concern our historic use of undercover policing has caused and are determined to be as open as possible to assist the public inquiry in finding the truth.”
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