The representative body for police officers in South Yorkshire has provoked fury after dismissing a landmark report into the Hillsborough disaster as a "significant waste of taxpayers' money". The response from the South Yorkshire Police Federation has been labelled an "absolute disgrace" by a local MP and condemned by survivors of the 1989 tragedy.
Federation's 'Whining' Statement Sparks Fury
Hours after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published its findings, the Police Federation issued a statement criticising the report. It claimed the document, which followed a 13-year investigation, was "not fair or balanced" and argued that retired officers – some of whom are "very elderly" – were unable to formally respond to allegations.
The federation stated: "Our former colleagues do not have and have not had the right to reply to any accusations. They should not face trial by media." It concluded by questioning the value of the "much delayed report and its multi million pound cost to the public purse".
MP and Survivor Lead Condemnation
The reaction was swift and damning. Labour MP Ian Byrne slammed the federation on social media platform X. He wrote: "Absolutely disgraceful from the South Yorkshire Police Federation & keeping with tradition sadly & shamefully. They dare to whine about 'trial by media' when it was their own secretary in 1989 who spread the lies that weaponised the media against Liverpool fans."
Diane Lynn, a survivor of the disaster, commented directly on the federation's website: "As a survivor I, and all the other survivors have faced trial by media since 1989 because of the lies told about us. How about standing up and facing the truth instead of continuing to support the lies."
Report Findings and a 'Bitter Injustice'
The IOPC report, the largest ever independent probe into police misconduct, found that 12 retired officers would have faced gross misconduct proceedings under today's standards. It identified "fundamental failures" and "concerted efforts" to shift blame onto fans.
The disaster on 15 April 1989 at Sheffield's Hillsborough stadium during an FA Cup semi-final led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans. A change in the law in 2017 means ex-officers can now answer misconduct charges, but this was not applied retrospectively. All 12 officers had retired before investigations began in 2012.
At a press conference, Charlotte Hennessy, whose father Jimmy died, said: "Nobody's ever going to go to prison for killing them so we'll never get justice." She added that the report confirmed survivors' testimony of a police cover-up.
Nicola Brook, a solicitor for bereaved families, called it a "bitter injustice" that no one would be held accountable. Current South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney offered a full apology for the force's "litany of failures".
