For nineteen years, a British police officer lied about his identity to his wife. Throughout their relationship, he hid being undercover from her, even going so far as to recognize their son under a false identity, reveals The Guardian in a survey published Wednesday.
It all started in 2001 when the two individuals met. An undercover police officer, the man must hide his identity and therefore lies to his common-law wife. Over the years, they experience true love. The agent even takes care of his partner’s daughter, born from a previous union, before the couple welcomes their own son.
A mysterious man
“He always had a fairly secretive side, but at the time, I saw him more as someone very reserved,” confides the wife’s sister. The man was quite discreet and regularly justified his absences by explaining that he had to go on business trips. At the same time, he continued to practice his profession, investigating serious crimes.
But in 2013, his superiors learned that the police officer had built his family under his false identity, which is prohibited. An investigation was therefore opened and the man ended up leaving the British police the same year. Only, no one thought to warn the wife. For seven years, the Briton will therefore continue to keep his identity secret.
A broken life
It was in 2020 that the police officer’s former superiors announced the truth to his wife. The man was investigating criminal cases unrelated to his partner undercover. The latter was broken upon learning the truth. “She expressed suicidal thoughts: she cries every day and no longer sleeps,” her relatives told the British media. The latter denounce pressure so that nothing is revealed to the press.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) apologized for “the devastating effects” of this late revelation. The IOPC also announced that an investigation targeting the officer and his superiors would be opened. “I have lost all confidence in the system and in the police,” assures the brother. The family wants the police to be punished. She actually lives in a neighborhood where relations with the police are tense and would not want to be associated with the lies of the authorities.