On Wednesday 3 October Kate Wilson’s case against the Metropolitan Police and the National Police Chiefs Council returns to court. Kate is taking legal action over violations of her human rights due to her longterm intimate relationship with undercover police officer Mark Kennedy under Articles 3, 8, 10, 11 and 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
These include inhumane and degrading treatment at the hands of Kennedy and his supervisors, being a victim of sexist discrimination by police, violations of her right to private life and her political rights to freedom of association and expression, not only by Kennedy but also by at least seven other undercover officers and by managers and commanding officers over a period of more than 12 years.
The Met initially tried to get the case held in secret but failed. Since then it has been forced into making telling public admissions. It is now trying to get the case closed down, saying that conceding certain parts of the claim means it should not have to divulge more evidence. These arguments will be heard on 3 October and if the Met is successful the tribunal will stop examining the legality of its operations, the role of sexism and political persecution in the decisions made, and exactly how many senior commanding officers knew about it.
For Kate the case has caused additional trauma and this has been exacerbated by the Met’s obstructive behaviour. She says:
The police being unbelievably bullying in their response to our cases, and we have had to reveal huge amounts of deeply personal information to the courts and to the police and to the police solicitors. The whole process has been very damaging, constantly pouring salt in the wounds that were created when I found out that Mark in fact didn’t exist.
On Thursday 20 September Kate’s case made national news due to the revelation that senior officers who managed Kennedy knew and approved of his sexual relationship with her. Prior to this the police had always maintained that while such relationships were “abusive, deceitful, manipulative and wrong”, they were “never authorised”. Police papers lodged with the tribunal, however, admit Kennedy’s handlers and line manager “were aware that he was conducting a close personal relationship” with Kate and this was “carried out with the acquiescence of his cover officers and line manager.”
Please come to the demonstration on 3 October from 9.30-10.30am outside the Employment Appeal Tribunal, Fleetbank House, Salisbury Square, London, EC4Y 8JX (off Fleet Street, nearest tube Blackfriars). Kate’s case will be heard in court 5 from 10.30am-onwards. Further details here and Facebook event here
A public meeting about Kate’s fight for justice, entitled Political Policing and our Human Rights, will be held on 3 October from 6.30-9.00pm at Unite the Union, London Regional Office 33-37 Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB. Tickets are free but must be pre-booked here
The meeting is organised by Police Spies out of Lives who say: “Kate and her legal team will be speaking at this public event about the latest developments in this landmark case, where the police have admitted that they have abused four of her human rights. She will be supported by key speakers from human rights organisations.”
Kate’s story: https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/our-stories/kates-story/
Mark Kennedy profile: http://powerbase.info/index.php/Mark_Kennedy
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