Hillsborough families call for ex-police chief to be stripped of knighthood after damning report
Why outcome of latest Hillsborough disaster investigation highlights a systemic failure
- An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation found that 12 police officers would have faced gross misconduct proceedings for "fundamental failures" during the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and subsequent efforts to blame fans.
- The report upheld or found cases to answer for misconduct in 92 complaints regarding police actions, reinforcing previous findings that police control failure was the main cause of the unlawful deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.
- No officers will face disciplinary action because they had retired before investigations began, due to the law in place at the time, though legislation has since changed to allow proceedings against retired officers.
- Solicitors representing bereaved families stated that this outcome, while vindicating, delivers no justice as no one will be held accountable, highlighting a systemic failure.
- The IOPC report also found that South Yorkshire Police "fundamentally failed" in its planning and response, and that 327 officer statements were amended as part of a defensive strategy, underscoring the need for the proposed Hillsborough Law to ensure public officials tell the truth.