A police watchdog report said police were guilty of “profound complacency”, “fundamental failures” and “a concerted effort” to blame fans during and after the Hillsborough disaster.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has spent 13 years conducting the largest-ever independent investigation into police misconduct and criminal allegations.
The report identified more than a dozen police officers at South Yorkshire Police, including the then chief constable, who would have been charged with serious misconduct had they still been on duty. Officer 13 could have faced a misconduct lawsuit.
Hillsborough remains to this day the worst disaster in British sporting history.
On April 15, 1989, 97 Liverpool fans were killed in a terrace clash during the FA Cup semi-final at Sheffield Stadium. The dead were men, women, and children between the ages of 10 and 67.
IOPC deputy director-general Kathy Cashel said what the victims’ families have endured ever since is a “source of national shame”.
“The 97 people who were wrongfully killed and their families, the survivors of the disaster and all those deeply affected have been disappointed many times before, during and after the horrific events of that day,” Cashel said.
Liverpool continue to remember 97 fans who died at Anfield’s Hillsborough memorial
“Firstly, South Yorkshire Police’s deep complacency in the preparations for the match, then their fundamental failure to respond as the disaster unfolded, and then their concerted efforts to shift the blame onto Liverpool supporters, have caused enormous suffering to families and survivors for nearly 40 years.”
The IOPC report also found that South Yorkshire Police had “fundamentally failed in their planning for the match, their response in the event of a disaster and their response to traumatized supporters and families searching for loved ones”.
It said the force had “sought to deflect responsibility” and “included allegations about the actions of supporters that have been repeatedly disproved”.
Police initially blamed the accident on Liverpool fans who arrived late, drunk and without tickets, but after decades of campaigning by families, that theory was proven to be false.
Liverpool fans were initially blamed for the disaster, but that was later proven to be false
In April 2016, a new inquest held after the original verdict of accidental death was quashed in 2012 found the deceased had been unlawfully killed.
The IOPC also investigated the actions of West Midlands Police, who investigated the disaster and supported Mr Justice Taylor’s subsequent investigation. The force’s investigation was deemed “totally unsatisfactory and too narrow in scope”.
The report names 12 police officers who could have been charged with serious misconduct.
They included Peter Wright, then South Yorkshire’s chief constable, who was “instrumental in minimizing responsibility and deflecting responsibility for the disaster from SYP to Liverpool supporters”. Mr. Wright passed away in 2011.
Chief Supt David Duckenfield was also named as the match commander for the day. After the jury in the first trial could not reach a verdict, he was acquitted of gross negligence manslaughter in a retrial in November 2019.
David Duckenfield arrives at Preston Crown Court during Hillsborough disaster retrial in 2019
Dozens of misconduct allegations against police officers have been upheld, but none are subject to disciplinary proceedings because all have left the police force. The law at the time did not impose a duty of candor on police.
However, the report received a lukewarm response from some of the victims’ families.
Jenny Hicks, whose teenage daughters Sarah and Vicki died in Hillsborough, questioned why no action was taken against the officers after the Taylor investigation first revealed police mismanagement months after the disaster.
She said: “When I look at the 370-odd page report, I can’t believe how it took me 13 years to write it. There’s very little in this report that I didn’t already know. In my opinion, it’s not meant to tell families anything.”
In September, the government introduced the so-called Hillsborough Bill to the House of Commons. This includes the duty of candor, which requires public officials to act with honesty and integrity at all times. Otherwise, they will face criminal penalties.
But Louise Brooks, whose brother Andrew Mark Brooks died in Hillsborough, rejected both the IOPC report and the new law.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough ground became the scene of a disaster
“Nothing will change. There will be another cover-up and another catastrophe. Until things change at the top, including MPs, chief constables and the CEOs of organizations, nothing will change. Until they stop protecting themselves and covering up.”
Nicola Brooke, a lawyer at Brudy Jackson Cantor who is representing several of the families, said this was a “severe injustice” in which no one was held accountable.
She said: “While this result may vindicate families and survivors who have fought for decades to uncover the truth, it does not bring justice. Rather, it exposes a system that has allowed officers to simply walk away and retire without scrutiny, sanction or punishment, even when they fail to meet the standards that the public rightly expects.”
“Yes, the law has been changed so that this loophole can no longer be used. But that is no consolation for those affected by this incident. They will experience an even worse injustice. The truth has finally been acknowledged, but accountability has been denied.”
In a statement released alongside the IOPC report, Cathy Cashel said: “As I have expressed to those closely affected, this process has taken too long. Those who have been campaigning for many years deserve better recognition.
“Had a frank legal duty existed in 1989, it might have ensured that all relevant evidence was shared fully and quickly. The families of those who were wrongfully killed would have suffered far less trauma as they searched for answers about what happened to their loved ones. Had that duty existed, our investigation may not have been necessary at all.”
