Families of the 97 victims of the Hillsborough disaster have expressed fury and described it as 'a disgrace' that no police officers will face misconduct proceedings, following the conclusion of a 13-year investigation that cost £150 million.
A Bitter End to a Long Search for Accountability
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) today published its final report into the 1989 tragedy and its aftermath. While it identified 12 former officers who would have had a case to answer for gross misconduct, none can now face disciplinary action as all are retired.
This outcome has left bereaved relatives feeling that, despite the exhaustive probe, the justice system has failed them yet again. The investigation, which ran parallel to the criminal probe Operation Resolve, has resulted in just a single successful prosecution over the deaths.
Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died at the FA Cup semi-final, voiced the anger felt by many. "It really makes you very, very angry when you think of all those 97 who died, unlawfully killed, and yet not one person has been held to account," she said.
Mrs Aspinall, who led the Hillsborough Family Support Group, understood why people saw the investigation as 'an appalling waste of money', but insisted the fault lay with the system. "If they'd told the truth in the very first place, none of us would be sitting here now," she added.
Damning Findings and Evasive Officers
The IOPC's hard-hitting report states that what the families have endured for 36 years is 'a source of national shame'. It accuses South Yorkshire Police (SYP) of 'deep complacency' in planning for the match and a 'fundamental failure to grip the disaster as it unfolded'.
Critically, the report supports the long-held belief of a cover-up, finding that the-then chief constable, Peter Wright, 'set the tone' for a 'defensive' approach designed to 'deflect blame' onto Liverpool supporters and away from police failures.
Among the key findings are that:
- Peter Wright, Chief Constable of SYP in 1989, would have had a case to answer for gross misconduct for attempting to minimise police culpability.
- Nine other SYP officers, including match commander David Duckenfield, would have faced gross misconduct cases for their roles in planning, policing, or the defensive response.
- Two West Midlands Police senior officers would have had cases for alleged bias towards SYP during their investigation.
- 327 police statements were amended as part of SYP's 'defensive approach'.
The IOPC noted that some senior retired officers were 'evasive', offering only the 'veneer' of co-operation during interviews.
Families' Fury and the Call for a Hillsborough Law
Relatives reacted with sorrow and condemnation at a press conference in Liverpool. Charlotte Hennessy, whose father Jimmy died aged 29, addressed the officers named in the report: "Shame on every single one of you."
Families also backed calls for Sir Norman Bettison – a chief inspector with SYP at the time, later accused of being part of efforts to deflect blame – to be stripped of his knighthood and Queen's Police Medal. The IOPC found he would have had a case to answer for alleged dishonesty about his involvement.
The report has renewed focus on the proposed Hillsborough Law (the Public Office (Accountability) Bill), which would impose a legal 'duty of candour' on public officials. Families hope this will be a lasting legacy of their campaign, preventing similar injustices.
IOPC Deputy Director General Kathie Cashell said a duty of candour in 1989 could have ensured evidence was shared promptly. "Had that duty existed, our investigations may not have been necessary at all," she stated.
The 97 victims were unlawfully killed in a crush at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield on 15 April 1989 during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Despite a 2016 inquest verdict of unlawful killing and overwhelming evidence of police failings and a subsequent cover-up, the only conviction was of former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell for a health and safety offence, for which he was fined £6,500.
