Following the investigation, families who lost relatives in the 1989 football stadium crash say they will never receive justice.
A major report has found widespread police failures before and after the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium crash in northern England that killed 97 Liverpool fans.
Following an investigation that began in 2012, Britain’s police watchdog concluded on Tuesday that 12 police officers could face charges of gross misconduct over Britain’s worst sporting tragedy.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
However, since the victims are all retired, no action can be taken, and their families claim that justice will never be served.
Nicola Brooke, the family’s lead solicitor, said: “There will be no disciplinary action against any of the officers.” “No one will be held accountable,” she added.
Margaret Aspinall, a longtime activist whose 18-year-old son James was killed that day, expressed anger that it was a “disgrace to this country” that the 12 police officers were allowed to “get away with full pensions”.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Hennessy, whose father Jimmy died due to unrequited love, also complained that they would “never get justice”.
The tragedy occurred on April 15, 1989 at Sheffield’s Hillsborough Stadium, when 2,000 Liverpool fans were allowed to crowd into the standing section behind the goal.
Approximately 100 people died in the ensuing clash as fans attending the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest were trapped by metal fences and trampled underfoot.
Police initially blamed the incident on a drunken supporter, but a subsequent autopsy discredited the incident.
An independent inquiry in 2016 later ruled that the fans had been “unlawfully killed” and blamed the fatal clash on police error in opening the exit gate before kick-off.
In 2023, South Yorkshire Police admitted that their enforcement of the game had gone “catastrophically wrong”.
The latest report published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had “uncovered additional evidence” that provided a more “detailed understanding” of what happened at the stadium.
Of the 352 complaints about police conduct investigated by the IOPC, the watchdog said 92 of them were upheld or could require individuals to explain their actions.
He also accused West Midlands Police’s review of the Hillsborough tragedy to be flawed, saying it was biased in favor of colleagues in the force.
No police officer was ever convicted in the disaster, and the police commander in charge of the match, David Duckenfield, was acquitted of manslaughter in 2019.
The victim’s family said on Tuesday that Norman Bettison, one of the 12 officers named and later chief executive of Merseyside Police, should be stripped of his knighthood.
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called Hillsborough “a stain on our country’s history” and said: “Today stands as a stark reminder of one of the gravest police failures this country has ever seen.”
Proposed new legislation, known as the ‘Hillsborough Bill’, is currently being passed by the UK Parliament and aims to introduce a legal duty of integrity for public servants, including the police.
Mr Brooke, lead lawyer for the victim’s family, said this was “no comfort” to the victim.
“They have experienced yet another painful injustice. The truth has finally been acknowledged, but accountability has been denied,” she said.
