Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has released a long-awaited report concluding that twelve retired South Yorkshire Police officers would have faced gross misconduct charges under current laws for their roles in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool football fans. Key figures named include former Chief Constable Peter Wright and ex-Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield, the match commander on the day of the tragedy.
The report highlights “fundamental failures” by the police and “concerted efforts” to blame the victims rather than police errors. However, because all the officers retired before investigations began in 2012 and laws allowing retired officers to face misconduct charges were only introduced in 2017 (and not applied retrospectively), no disciplinary proceedings can be pursued against them now. This outcome has been described as a “bitter injustice” by solicitor Nicola Brook, who represents bereaved families.
The Hillsborough disaster occurred during an FA Cup semi-final match at Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium on April 15, 1989. The crush resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans and has since been the subject of extensive investigations and legal proceedings. Fresh inquests in 2016 had concluded the victims were unlawfully killed, which led to the misconduct investigation by the IOPC.
Other significant findings from the report include:
– Former Chief Constable Peter Wright would have faced 10 alleged breaches of the Police Disciplinary Code related to actions after the disaster.
– David Duckenfield would have faced 10 alleged breaches for failures in crowd management, decision-making, and communication before and during the event.
– Eight other officers would have faced charges related to policing duties and attempts to deflect blame after the disaster.
– Two former West Midlands Police officers involved in leading the investigation (Mervyn Jones and Michael Foster) would have faced charges for bias and failure to intervene in attempts to alter South Yorkshire Police accounts.
– The report upheld or found misconduct in 92 complaints overall.
– It uncovered that 327 officer statements had been amended since the disaster, 100 more than previous investigations had discovered.
Family members like Charlotte Hennessy, daughter of victim Jimmy Hennessy, expressed that while the report vindicates survivors’ and families’ fight to expose the truth, it fails to deliver justice as no one will face prison or appropriate punishment. South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney issued a formal apology acknowledging the pain caused by the police force’s failures.
The IOPC report marks the conclusion of the largest independent police misconduct investigation ever carried out in England and Wales related to the Hillsborough disaster
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.