Hillsborough: Police Failings and No Justice, Investigation Reveals

Revelations about the Hillsborough Tragedy: Police Failures and Pursuit of Accountability

A thorough investigation into the Hillsborough tragedy has revealed serious police failures and concerted efforts to blame the fans. The report, published on Tuesday by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), indicates that 12 officers would have faced proceedings for gross misconduct due to their actions during and after the disaster. The report also confirmed or found cases to answer for misconduct in 92 complaints related to police actions. However, due to the legislation in force at the time, no officer will face disciplinary measures, as they had all retired before the investigations began. The IOPC investigations and the criminal investigation “Operation Resolve” began in 2012, following the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report, and cost more than £150 million.

This outcome may vindicate the families and survivors who have fought for decades to expose the truth, but it does not offer justice. It exposes a system that has allowed agents to simply walk away, retiring without scrutiny, sanction, or consequence for failing to meet the standards the public has a right to expect.

Nicola Brook, lawyer for several affected families

A crush in the stands of Hillsborough Stadium in 1989 caused the death of 97 Liverpool fans.

On April 15, 1989, 97 Liverpool fans lost their lives in the FA Cup semi-final. The police opened an exit gate to relieve the overcrowding outside, but did not direct the fans away from the tunnel leading to the central stands, where the crush occurred. Kathie Cashell, IOPC’s deputy director general, stated that the victims, their families, and survivors were “repeatedly let down.”

• For the South Yorkshire Police’s deep complacency in the preparation for the match.
• For their fundamental failure to control the disaster as it unfolded.
• For the force’s concerted efforts to shift blame onto Liverpool supporters.

West Midlands officers who led the investigation into the disaster, Mervyn Jones and Michael Foster, were referred to the CPS for their failings, but the threshold for prosecution was not met, according to the report. The IOPC report indicated that both former officers would have had to answer for gross misconduct due to a deficient investigation, as they were “biased towards force and against the followers”. David Duckenfield, who was chief superintendent at the time, was acquitted of gross negligence manslaughter by a jury in 2019. The IOPC report notes that “he froze in the crisis” and would have had to answer for serious misconduct in relation to 10 accusations, including failing to respond and lying to FA officials. The report states that the accusations that the fans were to blame for the disaster were “totally refuted” in the new trials regarding the deaths, which in 2016 concluded that the fans had been unlawfully killed.

The IOPC investigation into the Hillsborough disaster has found that 12 police officers would have faced proceedings for gross misconduct. Other officers who would have faced charges for serious misconduct related to their actions on the day were Bernard Murray and Walter Jackson. The IOPC report also revealed that mounted police officer David Scott would have faced charges of gross misconduct for his account that his horse suffered cigarette burns from Liverpool fans, an incident that, according to the evidence, did not take place. South Yorkshire’s police chief, Peter Wright, who died in 2011, was considered “insensitive” by investigators who analyzed the allegations that he tried to promote a false narrative and would have had to answer for trying to deflect blame. Sir Norman Bettison, who was chief inspector at the time, would have had to answer in relation to the accusations that he was deliberately dishonest about his involvement in the disaster when applying for the post of chief of police in Merseyside and misled the public in press releases, according to the IOPC. The IOPC determined that former chief detective inspector Alan Foster would have had to answer for gross misconduct over allegations that he pressured officers who resisted amendments to their statements.

The Hillsborough disaster is the worst in British sporting history.

The IOPC report revealed that South Yorkshire Police tried to deflect blame for the disaster, but found no evidence of an orchestrated cover-up. The only person convicted as a result of the investigations is former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell, who was fined and ordered to pay costs after being found guilty of failing to ensure the health and safety of fans arriving at the stadium.