Families blast statement from police officer organisation which called IOPC report a 'waste of time and money'
Hillsborough family members speaking at a press conference in Liverpool on Tuesday
Hillsborough family members speaking at a press conference in Liverpool on Tuesday
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The families of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster have blasted the South Yorkshire Police federation for its response to this week's report into the shocking policing failures which caused the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans in 1989.
The ECHO reported extensively on the details of Tuesday's report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which found South Yorkshire Police fundamentally failed in its duties on the day of the disaster on April 15 1989 and senior officers then tried to blame Reds fans for the tragedy.
The report found 12 former senior officers - including match commander on the day David Duckenfield and Norman Bettison, who went on to become Merseyside Police's most senior officer - would have had gross misconduct cases to answer if they were still serving officers.
Despite the damning evidence of remarkable failures across its police force, the South Yorkshire Police Federation - the staff association that represents police officers within the force - released a remarkable and dismissive statement on the IOPC report.
The federation labelled the report a "significant waste of taxpayers' time and taxpayers' money and claimed that the investigation was "not fair and balanced".
The federation went on to claim that its officers - some of whom have died - have not had the right to reply to accusations, despite the fact that the IOPC spoke with numerous officers as they investigated the matter.
In a statement on social media, the organisation said: "These are opinions of the IOPC essentially being dressed up as statements of almost fact. We emphasise that these are just allegations."
The federation said the officers named in the report "should not face trial by media" and said the outcome "doesn't help anybody involved in the Hillsborough disaster".
The statement received powerful responses from those who lost family members in the disaster.
In her opening speech at a press conference held in Liverpool yesterday, Charlotte Hennessy, whose dad James died at the Sheffield stadium when she was just six-years-old, hit back at the police federation.
She said: "We also want to acknowledge that the statement was made by South Yorkshire Police Federation this morning, who rather than acknowledge their feelings that were exposed right from the Taylor report, they have chosen to double down and highlight that some of their offices are now very elderly, while our loved ones didn't get to live to have that privilege.
"We refute their contention that they have not had the right to reply. Our understanding is that anyone named the report would have either been interviewed or had the opportunity to respond to any criticisms levelled. Shame on every single one of you."
Asked later about the federation statement, Margaret Aspinall, whose son James died in the disaster when he was just 18, said: "They say some of the officers have died.
"Oh well, my son didn't reach the age of 85. He died for no reason.
"To reach an old age like they have, how lucky are they? How dare they insult us like that."