British police apologize for deceiving women into relationships

Britain's Metropolitan Police on Friday apologized to seven women who had been deceived by undercover police officers and formed long-term sexual relationships with them.

The Metropolitan Police and the seven women have concluded "a mediation process in relation to claims arising from long term intimate sexual relationships," the Metropolitan Police announced in a statement Friday.

The details of the settlement were kept confidential, but the Metropolitan Police published a full apology to the women.

"I acknowledge that these relationships were a violation of the women's human rights, an abuse of police power and caused significant trauma. I unreservedly apologize on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Service," said Martin Hewitt, assistant commissioner from the Metropolitan Police.

"I am aware that money alone cannot compensate the loss of time, their hurt or the feelings of abuse caused by these relationships," he added.

Hewitt revealed that some officers were "acting undercover whilst seeking to infiltrate protest groups," and they "entered into long-term intimate sexual relationships with women which were abusive, deceitful, manipulative and wrong."

The undercover officers had worked for Special Demonstration Squad, and the National Public Order Intelligence Unit, two undercover police units which ceased to exist in 2008 and 2011 respectively.

Hewitt admitted that "relationships like these should never have happened."

"They were wrong and were a gross violation of personal dignity and integrity," he said.

He also recognized there have been "failures of supervision and management" in the police service.

"Undercover policing is a lawful and important tactic but it must never be abused," he said. Endit