A major investigation has concluded that twelve police officers would have faced gross misconduct proceedings for their "fundamental failures" on the day of the Hillsborough disaster and for subsequent "concerted efforts" to blame Liverpool fans.
Report Details Systemic Failures and a Cover-Up
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published its long-awaited report on Tuesday, 2nd December 2025. It examined the role of police in the 1989 tragedy, where 97 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed at the FA Cup semi-final.
The disaster unfolded after police opened an exit gate to alleviate crowding outside Sheffield Wednesday's ground but then failed to direct supporters away from a tunnel leading to already packed central pens.
The IOPC's investigation upheld or found cases to answer in 92 separate complaints about police actions. Crucially, it identified that a dozen officers would have had to answer for gross misconduct concerning the day itself and the aftermath, had they still been serving.
Retirement Loophole Denies Accountability
However, due to the law at the time, none of these officers will face disciplinary proceedings because they had all retired before the investigations began. This legal loophole has since been closed, but it offers no retrospective justice for the Hillsborough families.
Nicola Brook, a solicitor at Broudie Jackson Canter representing several families, stated the report delivers truth but not justice. "This outcome may vindicate the bereaved families and survivors who have fought for decades to expose the truth – but it delivers no justice," she said.
"Instead, it exposes a system that has allowed officers to simply walk away, retiring without scrutiny, sanction or consequence for failing to meet the standards the public has every right to expect," Brook added.
Senior Figures Implicated and a 'National Shame'
Among those implicated are South Yorkshire Police's then-chief constable Peter Wright and match commander David Duckenfield, as well as Sir Norman Bettison, who later led Merseyside Police.
The report found that Wright, who died in 2011, would have had a case to answer for his part in attempts to "minimise culpability and deflect blame" from SYP onto supporters. It reinforces the 2012 Hillsborough Independent Panel and the 2016 inquest conclusions that fans were blameless.
IOPC deputy director general Kathie Cashell said the families had been "repeatedly let down" and that their ordeal was "a source of national shame". The report criticises SYP's planning, its response as the disaster happened, and its treatment of traumatised supporters.
It also found evidence of a "defensive approach" and that 327 statements from officers had been amended—over 100 more than previously known—to control evidence submitted to inquiries.
Calls for a 'Hillsborough Law' Intensify
The findings have renewed calls for the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, known as the Hillsborough Law, which would force public officials to tell the truth after disasters. The bill had its second reading in parliament last month.
Hillsborough survivor and Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, Ian Byrne, welcomed the report but said it proved the need for legislative change. "The IOPC acknowledged that the Hillsborough Law is much needed... because you would have had an enforceable duty of candour," he told The Independent.
Ms Cashell echoed this, stating that a legal duty of candour in 1989 could have ensured evidence was shared promptly, sparing families a traumatic decades-long fight. "Had that duty existed, our investigations may not have been necessary at all," she concluded.
