Six women in Barcelona are suing the Spanish state for being tricked into having romantic relationships with police intruders. An undercover agent, adorned with anarchist combs and tattoos, among others, appeared on the alternative scene of the Catalan capital in 2020. Dani turned out to be an amiable guest and quickly became a beloved figure at the anti-capitalist social center La Cinètika, a former cinema, a gathering place for left-wing activists. He not only took part in the action, but also formed relationships with at least eight activists.

The six women who took legal action against the intruders accused him and the police of sexual harassment and invasion of privacy, among other things. The Ministry of Home Affairs was also sued, for having ultimate responsibility for police policy, wrote The Guardian.

“I felt raped,” one of the victims told local newspaper La Directa. “I was once with someone who, it turns out, I didn’t know at all and it really freaked me out.” The woman has been in a relationship with Dani for almost a year and now struggles with anxiety, disgust and feelings of helplessness. “If I had known he was a cop, I would never have started anything with him. I couldn’t have made that decision myself. Nothing justifies the interference of the state and the police in my life.”

Officially, the police and other state organs have yet to respond to the disclosures by La Directa, which discovered and published the infiltration after it became clear that spyware had been placed on the cellphones of dozens of Catalan independence movement activists. Police sources confirmed that the agent worked for a department focused on intelligence gathering.

Lawyers representing the women argued that they had been deprived of their right to informed consent, among other things. “It’s not about lying about a few things, but about the whole identity of the person being falsified.” The central point is that fraud occurs on behalf of the government in a politically colored operation. It was also shown that infiltration was not necessary because it concerned anarchists but also trade union circles who practiced a high degree of openness. Infiltration is also seen as an attempt to criminalize activists. The case does not stand alone. Similar infiltration also occurred in other cities.

The Guardian points out that similar cases have occurred in the UK. There, police intruders even father children of duped activists.