'Spy Cops' Scandal: 25 Undercover Officers In The UK Deceived Women Into Sexual Relations

Several women in the UK were systematically deceived by undercover police officers over three decades, with nearly a fifth of all police spies engaging in intimate relationships with women they were sent to surveil. Four of these officers fathered or allegedly fathered children with women they met while using fake identities to infiltrate political movements, the Guardian reported. One such woman's life was turned down when she accidentally discovered that her son's father, Bob Lambert, was an undercover police officer - more than 20 years after her son's birth. Lambert had abandoned them when the child was just an infant, deceiving Jacqui by claiming he had to flee abroad to avoid arrest.

Multiple women formed long-term intimate relationships with undercover police officers, unaware that these men were secretly spying on them and their social circles. The relationships lasted up to six years, during which time the women unknowingly shared their personal lives with the officers.

Over 50 women have been identified as victims of this deception, but the real number is said to be likely higher. The discovery of the officers' true identities has left these women severely traumatized, struggling to trust others and form meaningful relationships again.

A new ITV series, produced in collaboration with The Guardian, is now shedding light on the "spy cops" scandal, revealing the shocking extent of the deception. The series, which premiered on Thursday, follows the stories of five women who embarked on a quest to uncover the truth about their former partners, who abruptly disappeared from their lives using pretences. Through meticulous research, scouring archives, and even travelling abroad, these women were able to unmask the men, exposing their true identities as covert police officers.

David Barr, the chief barrister of the inquiry, stated unequivocally that sexual deception by undercover officers was not justified. The women's relentless campaigning and legal action have now led to police chiefs issuing apologies and conceding that the exploitative relationships were a result of a "wider culture of sexism and misogyny" within the police force. Further, the police have admitted that their managers, who were also embedded in this toxic culture, failed to prevent the abuse, highlighting a systemic failure to protect the women from these harmful actions.

For over 40 years, from 1968 to 2010, undercover police operations involved deceptive relationships as a common tactic. These relationships, which began in the 1970s, were a deliberate part of the police's secretive operations. Only two of the 25 known undercover officers were women, suggesting a predominantly male-led effort to deceive and manipulate women. Moreover, the identities of many police spies remain classified, leaving an unknown number of women potentially unaware that they were duped into intimate relationships with undercover agents.