The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has issued an apology for the letters they sent out to people affected by the Hillsborough disaster. The letters have been criticised as “abhorrent, degrading and cruel” by those who received them, including Val Yates, who had been photographed carrying wounded fans across the pitch. In the letter she received, the IOPC stated there was no evidence that she had seen the bodies of any of the fans who died in the disaster. The IOPC said the letter was “extremely sorry for any distress the letters had caused”.
The disaster occurred on 15 April 1989 when 97 football fans died following a terrace crush at an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The families of the victims have campaigned for the complete truth of what happened to be revealed for decades. The IOPC was tasked with investigating around 150 complaints about officers’ conduct before and after the disaster, but are yet to deliver their final report.
Twenty-eight letters were sent out to bereaved families and survivors to inform them of the outcome of their complaints. However, complaints were made that the letters showed “contempt” for those affected by the disaster, with some people receiving changes in witness statements made. Charlotte Hennessy, whose father James died in the tragedy, complained about the letters to the IOPC. She felt that there was no support or duty of care for those traumatised by the event.
The IOPC has written to people affected by the disaster again to apologise, explaining that it has reviewed all the letters that have yet to be sent out. People who are due to receive the letters will be given 10 days’ notice. However, some people affected have described the new letters as “not an apology”. The IOPC is yet to publish its final report, but a date for its publication has not been confirmed
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