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Issue 281, Friday 28 September 2012 - 11 Dhu al-Qa'dah 1433 Hillsborough – a travesty of justice It has taken 23 years to change the ‘official’ version of Britain’s deadliest stadium disaster, but the bereaved families still have not seen justice for the 96 Liverpool fans tragically killed at Hillsborough in 1989. In a damning report this month, the Hillsborough Independent Panel finally admitted that no Liverpool fans were responsible in any way for the disaster, and that the main cause was a “lack of police control”. It found that the safety of the crowd was “compromised at every level” and that “up to 41” of the 96 who perished may have survived had the emergency services’ reaction and co-ordination been improved. Shamefully South Yorkshire Police and other emergency services had made a “strenuous attempt” to deflect the blame for the tragedy. This included amending 164 witness statements and removing 116 which were unfavourable to the police. In addition police carried out blood alcohol readings of the victims, some of them children, and ran computer checks on the national police database in an attempt to “impugn their reputation”. Belated apologies were released by Prime Minister, David Cameron, on behalf of the Government, Ed Miliband on behalf of the Opposition, London Mayor Boris Johnson, Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and South Yorkshire Police. Former Editor of The Sun, Kelvin McKenzie, issued a half-hearted apology claiming he had been “totally misled” into writing the headline “The Truth” which set the agenda for blaming the fans. Left unsaid is the extent of the systematic cover-up, conspiracy and collusion, embracing the police, politicians and the media during the past two decades. Whilst mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives and friends of the victims contended with personal abuse, ridicule, vilification, fabrication and lies while campaigning for the truth. Parallels have already been drawn with the more than 30 years suffered in denial of the truth about Bloody Sunday, but there are many other instances challenging ‘official’ versions. The first stage in the battle for the truth may have been won by the Hillsborough Families Support Group, but the the quest for justice can only now begin. Questions are already being asked why the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) did absolutely nothing about files detailing the police cover-ups 14 years ago. Among those seeking to save their jobs is West Yorkshire Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison, who was part of the South Yorkshire internal inquiry into the disaster in 1989 but is continuing to cause outrage by still attempting to deflect blame. An immedate step is to overturn the inquest verdicts of accidental death and consider criminal proceedings against those responsible for the tragedy, including manslaughter charges, and perverting the course of justice. Those responsible for the subsequent cover-up must be taken to account. But the bereaved families are not holding their breath about who will be made accountable. If this does not happen then it will be very difficult to rebuild the already loss of faith in the police and the system. However, what still needs to be reformed is the whole system of inquest, inquiry, police, judicial system and the media as this is not the first botched up case. We have the examples of the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, the shooting of Mark Duggan that led to the summer riots last year, and the evidence that was fabricated by the police in the case of Rizwaan Sabir who was arrested and then released without charge under terrorism laws. Justice has not only to be done but also seen to be done. |