Green Assembly Member Baroness Jenny Jones accuses the CPS of denying justice for the victims of the undercover police and urges the Mayor of London to lobby the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Photograph courtesy of Kaihsu Tai.
The Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to charge a number of undercover officers for forming sexual relationships with women during their deployment, due to insufficient evidence. The CPS had been considering charges of rape, indecent assault, procuring a woman to have sexual intercourse by false pretences, misconduct in public office, and breaches of the Official Secrets Act.
The CPS determined that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction for any offences against any of the officers.
Responding to the new Jenny Jones said: “The CPS has looked at the evidence put together by the police investigating the police and decided not to charge any undercover police officer. I find this decision quite staggering and it will damage trust in both the CPS and the police. The CPS appears not to have looked at the use of sexual relationships as a systematic tactic used by a group of undercover officers during their deployment and that concerns me.
“We have heard time and again from senior officers that such relationships are completely unacceptable and yet today’s decision by the CPS means these officers have escaped being held to account.
“One of the victims of these officers said she felt as if she had been “raped by the state”. Unfortunately today’s decision by the CPS means she, and the other victims of undercover police, will be denied justice. I hope the CPS will reconsider its decision and puts these cases before a jury. I urge the Mayor of London to lobby the DPP.”