The families of those killed in the Hillsborough blasted the probe into an Independent Office for Police Conduct, saying we will "never know the full extent of South Yorkshire Police's deception"
A photo of Margaret Aspinall
Margaret Aspinall, the mother of 18-year-old James Aspinall hit out at the probe's findings
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The families of those killed at Hillsborough have condemned the senior officers in charge, saying: “They unlawfully killed 97 people then blamed their mates for killing them - it doesn’t get any worse than that.”
At a joint press conference Margaret Aspinall, mother of 18-year-old James, Charlotte Hennessy, daughter of Jimmy, 29, Steve Kelly, brother of Michael, 18, and Sue Roberts, sister of 24-year-old Graham said they will “never know the full extent of South Yorkshire Police’s deception”. They spoke after the publication of an Independent Office for Police Conduct report into the 1989 disaster FA Cup semi-final at Sheffield Wednesday’s ground.
Liverpool supporters were crushed on April 15, 1989, during their match against Nottingham Forest. Police opened an exit gate to the ground to alleviate crowding outside the stadium. They failed to direct supporters away from the tunnel leading to the central pens where the crush happened.
A photo of the victims
Liverpool supporters were crushed to death in 1989
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As fans lay dying, South Yorkshire Police was claiming that Liverpool supporters arriving in huge numbers late, drunk and without tickets, had caused the disaster. After decades of campaigning by the families, those claims have been proved untrue.
The IOPC found 12 police officers would have faced gross misconduct cases - though no sanctions will be brought because of the law at the time. At the conference, the families lawyer Nicola Brook emphasised that no-one will be held to account for what happened, despite today's police watchdog report.
She said it had taken 36 years to reach today's conclusions - and years after a number of other inquests delivered their findings, adding: “The evidence that has allowed the IOPC to draw its conclusions has been there all that time.”
She said many of her clients had died while waiting for fresh inquests, which returned verdicts of unlawful killing back in 2016, and more in the intervening years leading to today’s report. “They have all been denied the opportunity to hear these findings. They deserve better,” she said.
Steve Kelly, the brother of 38-year-old Michael Kelly, and Sue Roberts, the sister of 24-year-old Graham Roberts, during a press conference
Steve Kelly, the brother of 38-year-old Michael Kelly, and Sue Roberts, the sister of 24-year-old Graham Roberts said they would "never know the full extent of South Yorkshire Police's deception
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Charlotte Hennessy praised the bravery of Liverpool supporters, saying: “They were wrongfully blamed by the people who should have protected them.” She thanked the IOPC for the report, but said it confirmed what she, the families and survivors had known all along.
Charlotte also accused match commander David Duckenfield of being “a liar”. She said families “will never truly know the full extent of South Yorkshire Police's deception”. But there was no way they could cover up that “they failed in their duties and sought to blame the victims.”
Margaret Aspinall said it made her “really, really angry” that no -one would face any action while Steve Kelly said the findings must make it clear that processes around police misconduct have to change. He said: ‘No one should be beaten by the passage of time. We should have justice and accountability at least within a person's lifetime.”
Sue Roberts added that although frustrated, she is happy that officers who committed misconduct have now been named. Charlotte added: “We’ll never get justice. “Nobody's ever going to go to prison for killing them so we'll never get justice and we knew that.”
A photo of a fan
South Yorkshire Police claimed Liverpool supporters arrived drunk to the ground - this was later proven to be untrue
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The families said they would now work toward securing the Hillsborough Law, which is currently making its way through Parliament. Margaret said: “You've got to see a good job through. We won't be happy until this is all through.”
Charlotte also called for former South Yorkshire Police Ch Supt Sir Norman Bettison - who later became chief of Merseyside Police - to be stripped of his knighthood and Queen’s Policing Medal. The IOPC report concluded he would have faced two gross misconduct allegations - including for providing misleading press statements, and dishonesty over his role in the disaster when applying for that job at Merseyside Police.
She said: “He stated on many occasions over the years his role was peripheral, but this report has concluded he was right in the thick of it. We families knew this from the moment he was appointed as Chief Constable of Merseyside. And despite protests and complaints, they were ignored.”