A new three-part documentary series, The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed, is set to reveal the shocking story of a secret unit of UK undercover police who spied on the public for over 40 years, including deceiving over 60 women into intimate relationships. The program will air on ITV1 and ITVX, with an airdate announced of Thursday 6th March at 9pm.
Here’s the Lowdown: For decades, undercover police officers in the UK were deployed to spy on ordinary citizens. This included forming long-term, intimate relationships with women who were completely unaware of their partners’ true identities. Five of these women, who helped expose the scandal, are speaking together on camera for the first time.
What This Means Now: This documentary will bring to light the disturbing tactics used by these “spycops,” including stealing the identities of deceased children and even fathering children with the women they were spying on. It also features access to the Guardian journalists who helped break the story. This relates to a almost decade-long £88 million public inquiry into the scandal
The Bigger Picture: This story exposes a massive, state-sanctioned operation that involved widespread deception and abuse. The women involved have been fighting for truth and justice, highlighting a culture of misogyny within the police and security services. The documentary is intended to raise awareness and put pressure on lawmakers to address these issues and change current legislation that, they say, places undercover officers above the law.
