This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/15/met-police-barbara-shaw-rod-richardson-anti-capitalist
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Met to apologise to woman after admitting officer stole dead son's identity Met to apologise to woman after admitting officer stole dead son's identity | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Police are to give a personal apology to a woman after admitting an undercover officer sent to spy on leftwing activists stole the identity of her dead son. | Police are to give a personal apology to a woman after admitting an undercover officer sent to spy on leftwing activists stole the identity of her dead son. |
| Barbara Shaw’s son, Rod Richardson, died two days after he was born in 1973. The officer took his identity and used it when he pretended to be an anti-capitalist protester between 2000 and 2003 in radical groups in London and Nottingham. | Barbara Shaw’s son, Rod Richardson, died two days after he was born in 1973. The officer took his identity and used it when he pretended to be an anti-capitalist protester between 2000 and 2003 in radical groups in London and Nottingham. |
| In a statement on Thursday, the Metropolitan police said: “We acknowledge this tactic has caused Ms Shaw, whose deceased son Rod Richardson’s identity was used, huge hurt and offence. The Metropolitan police will make every effort to meet with Ms Shaw, if she wishes, to apologise to her in person and explain how this came to be. It is only right that any apology is given privately to her.” | In a statement on Thursday, the Metropolitan police said: “We acknowledge this tactic has caused Ms Shaw, whose deceased son Rod Richardson’s identity was used, huge hurt and offence. The Metropolitan police will make every effort to meet with Ms Shaw, if she wishes, to apologise to her in person and explain how this came to be. It is only right that any apology is given privately to her.” |
| Undercover officers who spied on political groups routinely stole the identities of dead children and used them to build plausible fake personae. | Undercover officers who spied on political groups routinely stole the identities of dead children and used them to build plausible fake personae. |
| After trawling through national birth and death records in search of suitable matches, the spies created aliases based on the details of the dead children and were issued with identity records such as passports, driving licences and national insurance numbers. | After trawling through national birth and death records in search of suitable matches, the spies created aliases based on the details of the dead children and were issued with identity records such as passports, driving licences and national insurance numbers. |
| None of the families were consulted or told by police, who have admitted that at least 42 officers used the technique (pdf) which has been criticised by MPs for being “ghoulish and disrespectful”. | None of the families were consulted or told by police, who have admitted that at least 42 officers used the technique (pdf) which has been criticised by MPs for being “ghoulish and disrespectful”. |
| Richardson was unmasked three years ago following investigations by the Guardian and the campaigners he spied on. However police have been refusing to admit he was an undercover officer. | Richardson was unmasked three years ago following investigations by the Guardian and the campaigners he spied on. However police have been refusing to admit he was an undercover officer. |
| Shaw’s lawyer, Jules Carey of the legal firm Bindmans, said: “The gathering and use of dead children’s identities by police officers for cover names was macabre and a gross intrusion into the private lives of families. | Shaw’s lawyer, Jules Carey of the legal firm Bindmans, said: “The gathering and use of dead children’s identities by police officers for cover names was macabre and a gross intrusion into the private lives of families. |
| “The appropriation of her dead child’s identity has caused her hurt and offence but so too has the fact that it has taken almost four years for the police to admit to her that her son’s identity was used. The complaint she lodged with the Metropolitan police in 2013 remains outstanding.” | “The appropriation of her dead child’s identity has caused her hurt and offence but so too has the fact that it has taken almost four years for the police to admit to her that her son’s identity was used. The complaint she lodged with the Metropolitan police in 2013 remains outstanding.” |
| Shaw has previously said it was “wrong that someone took Rod’s identity without us knowing”, adding that he was “still my baby. I’ll never forget him.” | Shaw has previously said it was “wrong that someone took Rod’s identity without us knowing”, adding that he was “still my baby. I’ll never forget him.” |
| On Thursday, the public inquiry into the undercover infiltration of hundreds of political groups – led by the senior judge Lord Justice Pitchford – confirmed (pdf) the person pretending to be Richardson was an undercover officer. | On Thursday, the public inquiry into the undercover infiltration of hundreds of political groups – led by the senior judge Lord Justice Pitchford – confirmed (pdf) the person pretending to be Richardson was an undercover officer. |
| One of the strands of the inquiry, which is expected to start public hearings next year, will examine how the police used the technique (pdf) and whether parents should be told. | One of the strands of the inquiry, which is expected to start public hearings next year, will examine how the police used the technique (pdf) and whether parents should be told. |
| In 2013, Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Met’s commissioner, issued a general apology for “the shock and offence the use of this tactic has caused” among the public, after the Guardian revealed details of the policing method. | In 2013, Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Met’s commissioner, issued a general apology for “the shock and offence the use of this tactic has caused” among the public, after the Guardian revealed details of the policing method. |
| However none of the parents of the dead children were informed. The Met’s statement on Thursday is the first time that police have publicly admitted that a specific undercover officer stole the identity of a dead child and that they would give a personal apology to the parents of that child. | However none of the parents of the dead children were informed. The Met’s statement on Thursday is the first time that police have publicly admitted that a specific undercover officer stole the identity of a dead child and that they would give a personal apology to the parents of that child. |
| More than 20 parents whose children died at a young age have come forward wanting to know whether their identities were stolen by the police, but their questions have been blocked by the police. | More than 20 parents whose children died at a young age have come forward wanting to know whether their identities were stolen by the police, but their questions have been blocked by the police. |
| The Met said it “understands the anger that the use of this tactic has caused, and the desire for answers that a number of families have”. | The Met said it “understands the anger that the use of this tactic has caused, and the desire for answers that a number of families have”. |
| There is some dispute about the cause of Rod’s death. His death certificate attributes it to respiratory problems and pneumonia. Shaw believes her son died after choking on his milk, because of a mistake by the nursing staff. | There is some dispute about the cause of Rod’s death. His death certificate attributes it to respiratory problems and pneumonia. Shaw believes her son died after choking on his milk, because of a mistake by the nursing staff. |