Hillsborough report says police ‘failed and placed blame on fans’

Twelve police officers could face gross misconduct proceedings over the Hillsborough disaster, a long-awaited report has found.

Former Chief Constable Peter Wright of South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and CH Superintendent David Duckenfield are among the officers who had cases to answer following the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans in the 1989 stadium crush.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) report found that there had been “fundamental failings” and “concerted efforts” to blame fans in the aftermath.

It also upheld or found cases of misconduct in 92 complaints, but the law at the time meant no officers faced disciplinary proceedings because they all retired before the investigation began in 2012.

The law was changed in 2017, which meant retired officers would now face misconduct charges, but it could not be applied retroactively.

Nicola Brook, lawyer for Brody Jackson Canter, who has acted for several bereaved families, said it was a “bitter injustice” for which no one would be held accountable.

Current South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney said she was “deeply sorry for the pain and heartbreak” caused by the force’s “list of failings”.

She said, “There is nothing I can say today that can take away the years of pain and hurt from the force I now lead.”

Ms Brooke said the IOPC report “exposes a system that has allowed officers to retire without investigation, sanction or consequences for failing to meet the standards the public has every right to expect”.

The report also found that a thirteenth, now retired, officer from South Yorkshire Police would have faced misconduct proceedings.

Its publication marks the conclusion of the largest independent police misconduct investigation ever conducted in England and Wales.

It is understood that the families of fans who died as a result of the crush at the FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s home stadium received copies of the report on Monday.

Key findings of the 366-page document include:

• The late Mr Wright would have faced 10 alleged breaches of the police discipline code in relation to his actions after the disaster.
• Former captain David Duckenfield, who was the match commander, would have faced 10 alleged breaches for “failures in decision-making and communication in relation to the management of the build-up to the game” as well as a “series of major failures of control during the crowd build-up”.
• Eight other SYP officers will have cases to answer regarding their role in match preparation and policing, handling the disaster response or efforts to avoid blame afterward.
• Former WMP Assistant Chief Constable Mervyn Jones and Det CH Superintendent Michael Foster will have matters to answer over their roles in leading the investigation into the disaster, including “alleged bias towards police and against supporters” and “not interfering with SYP’s account amendment process”.

IOPC Deputy Director General Kathy Cashel said people affected by the disaster had been let down again and again.

“What they have had to endure for more than 36 years is a source of national shame,” he said.

The IOPC investigation ran alongside Operation Resolve, a criminal investigation focused on the day of the disaster.

Ms Cashel said the watchdog’s investigation, which included work done to prepare evidence for inquiries and prosecution, had cost £88m, while Operation Resolve had cost an additional £65m.

Six people faced criminal charges as a result of the operation, including Mr Duckenfield and three other police officers.

But only Graham Mackrell, former secretary of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, was ever convicted On disaster.

Ms Cashel said: “The 97 people who were unlawfully killed, their families, the survivors of the disaster and all those deeply affected by it, have been let down time and again before, during and after the horrific events of that day.

“First the gross complacency of South Yorkshire Police in the run-up to the match, then its fundamental failure to contain the disaster as it unfolded, and then the force’s concerted efforts to shift the blame to Liverpool supporters, caused enormous distress to bereaved families and survivors for almost four decades.

“They were again disappointed by the inexplicably narrow investigation of the disaster conducted by West Midlands Police, which missed an opportunity to bring these failings to light much sooner.”

He said it was important to remember that the forces investigated were different from those of today and policing had seen many changes since 1989.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the report was “a reminder of one of the most significant failures in policing ever seen in the country”.

He paid tribute to the families and survivors of the disaster and said that their “tireless campaign” led to its creation. Hillsborough Law Earlier this year, it introduced a legal duty of candor for all public officials.

Hilda Hammond, whose 14-year-old son Philip died in the tragedy, described her frustration at the lack of action against “some police officers”, saying the report was “like rubbing salt on a very old wound”.

Mrs Hammond’s husband Phil was a former chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group and one of the leading Hillsborough campaigners but she died in january,

He told the BBC that the report “brings everything back” and “makes you think that you wouldn’t mind if you had to take some action at the end of it.”

He said it was “sweet and bitter” that Philip died before the final report was published.

“I don’t know if I really wanted him to see it, because it seems like you were absolutely right, but there’s nothing we can do about it.

“We have said from the beginning what the truth is, and now it is too late to do anything about it so all police officers cannot be disciplined, whether they are still alive or retired.”

He said he thought it was “cruel” and a “pretty pointless exercise”.

“I don’t know what was the purpose or reason for spending so much money,” he said.

Mike Benbow, who previously led the investigation for five years, said: “After 13 years, the people deserve a report of over 400 pages.”

“This just doesn’t seem right. I’m told there will be a more detailed report later but I hope the IOPC will reconsider…”

He further said, “I do not understand the logic of this because obviously the criminal proceedings have ended a long time ago and it has taken almost five years to prepare the report.”