No charges are to be handed to the 12 police officers on duty on 15th April 1989 who would have faced gross misconduct charges under today’s law.
A report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that responses to the disaster failed on both a procedural and personal level, and added greatly to the trauma and distress of the survivors.
In response, the South Yorkshire Police Federation (SYPF) claimed the report was a “significant waste of time and money”, calling the proceedings a “trial by media”.
These comments have been met with outrage and anguish by many, with Margaret Aspinall, the mother of 18-year-old victim James, saying at a press conference held in Liverpool that they were an insult to the memory of her son.
Peter Scarfe, the chairman of Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance, called the comments “disgusting, diabolical and insensitive” to families who have lost loved ones.
The claim to a trial by media especially caused widespread outrage in light of the infamous and entirely untrue 1989 front-page Sun story headlined The Truth which alleged drunkenness, pickpocketing, and fighting amongst Liverpool fans.
These claims, which contradicted the survivor testimonies, were discovered to be made up by the South Yorkshire Police as part of a cover-up, and caused irreparable damage, becoming symbolic of the many failures of justice and policing on the day.
Mr Scarfe said the new IOPC report shows “that the families knew the truth all along,” yet no disciplinary hearings will take place, as the 12 officers had all retired when investigations began.
Charlotte Hennessy, whose father Jimmy was one of the 97 victims, told Novaramedia how police had placed him in a body bag while still alive, and left him to die in his own vomit.
Ms Hennessy reacted to comments from SYPF that the culpable officers were ‘very elderly or sadly passed away’, saying: “Our loved ones didn’t get to live to that privilege.”
Ms Aspinall added: “To reach an old age like that, how lucky are they? How dare they insult us like that.”
The report also found that 327 statements from the police were amended as part of a defensive approach to control evidence given to previous inquiries.
With no justice due to be delivered to those on duty on the day, the families have chosen to look to the future, calling for former police chief Norman Bettison, who would have a case of gross misconduct to answer to according to IOPC, to be stripped of his knighthood and Queen’s police medal.
Mr Scarfe said that it is “wrong and immoral” that he has been honoured, with Ms Hennessy adding: “his alleged dishonesty brings both of these honours into disrepute.”
Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East, is also calling for change, vocalising that the West stand, where so many lives were ended, or changed forever, remains “untouched” at the Hillsborough ground.
He said: “it is timely to say that 36 years after, the stand is still there, untouched. The new owners have a big decision to make.”
He has also publicly stated that he does not feel that the memorial at the ground does justice to the 97 victims, and those they left behind.
Mr Scarfe added how important that the “working-class, football icon” bond between Sheffield and Liverpool continues, stating how much this has helped survivors today.
He said: “We will never forget what the people of Sheffield did, the empathy and compassion they had, and still have, to pull through the tragedy together.”
