Hillsborough Disaster: Report Finds Widespread Police Failures, No Accountability Due to Retirement Loophole
A new inquiry into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster reveals that 12 police officers woudl have faced gross misconduct proceedings for “fundamental failures” on the day and subsequent “concerted efforts” to blame fans, yet no disciplinary action will be taken due to their retirement.
The report, published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), also identified misconduct cases to answer for in 92 complaints regarding police actions. However, a legal technicality at the time – the officers’ retirement before investigations commenced – prevents any current repercussions.
“This outcome may vindicate the bereaved families and survivors who have fought for decades to expose the truth – but it delivers no justice,” stated a solicitor representing many of the families.
The disaster, which occurred on April 15, 1989, at an FA Cup semi-final match, resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool supporters. The tragedy unfolded when police opened an exit gate to alleviate overcrowding outside the stadium but failed to adequately direct fans away from the already dangerously congested central pens.
The IOPC and Operation Resolve investigations were launched in 2012, spurred by the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report. IOPC deputy director general Kathie Cashell acknowledged that the victims, their families, and survivors had been “repeatedly let down.”
“First by the deep complacency of South Yorkshire Police in its readiness for the match, followed by its fundamental failure to grip the disaster as it unfolded, and then through the force’s concerted efforts to deflect the blame onto the liverpool supporters, which caused enormous distress to bereaved families and survivors for nearly four decades,” Cashell explained. She also criticized the “inexplicably narrow investigation” conducted by West Midlands Police as a missed possibility for earlier accountability.
The West Midlands officers leading that initial investigation – assistant chief constable Mervyn Jones and detective chief superintendent Michael Foster – were also referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for their failings. However, the report indicates the threshold for prosecution was not met. The IOPC resolute both officers would have faced gross misconduct proceedings for conducting a biased investigation “towards the force and against the supporters.”
Mr. Duckenfield,81,was previously cleared of gross negligence manslaughter by a jury in 2019. However, the IOPC report found he “froze in the crisis” and identified ten allegations warranting gross misconduct charges, including falsely claiming to FA officials that fans had forced their way into the stadium. The report explicitly stated that allegations blaming fans for the disaster were “wholly refuted” by the 2016 inquests, which concluded the deaths were the result of unlawful killing.
Other officers who would have faced gross misconduct cases include Bernard Murray, Duckenfield’s second-in-command; Walter Jackson, his superior and assistant chief constable, who also faced criticism for inadequate match planning; and officers stationed at the Leppings Lane end – superintendent Roger Marshall, inspector Harry White, and sergeant John Morgan. Mounted police constable David Scott would have been subject to investigation for falsely claiming his horse sustained cigarette burns from Liverpool fans,a claim disproven by evidence.
Investigators found former South yorkshire Police chief Mr. Wright, who died in 2011, to be “insensitive” for allegedly attempting to promote a false narrative and deflect blame. Mr. Bettison, a chief inspector at the time, would have faced scrutiny for alleged dishonesty regarding his involvement in the disaster during his application for the Merseyside chief constable position and for misleading statements to the press. While previously charged with misconduct in a public office,the case against mr. bettison was dropped in 2018.
The IOPC also found retired detective chief inspector Alan Foster would have faced a gross misconduct case for allegedly pressuring officers to alter their statements. Mr. Foster, along with former chief superintendent Donald Denton and force solicitor Peter Metcalf, were initially charged with perverting the course of justice, but a judge dismissed the case midway through their 2021 trial.
The only individual convicted consequently of the investigations is Graham Mackrell, the former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary, who was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs for failing to ensure the health and safety of fans entering the stadium.
