Hillsborough disaster: Police apologise for “profound failings” and Merseyside commissioner calls for Hillsborough Law

The National Police Chiefs Council and the College of Policing have issued the first ever apology on behalf of all 43 police forces in England and Wales.

They are the first public body to respond to a report by former Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, published in 2017, and promised, “cultural change.”

Bishop Jones chaired the independent panel that led to fresh inquests and a verdict of unlawful killing for the victims of the football stadium disaster and his report, The Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power, delved into how public bodies treated the families of those who died in the disaster.

Commissioned by Theresa May, the report outlined not only the injustice of inquries into the Hillsborough disaster, but also discussed how to ensure similar injustices do not happen again.

It has now been over five years since the Government received the report.

Apology

Police chiefs have apologised to families of Hillsborough victims almost 34 years on from the disaster, and said the code of ethics used by forces will be reviewed.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair, Martin Hewitt, said: “As police officers, we come to work to keep the public safe and as a service, we failed to do this at Hillsborough. I am deeply sorry for the tragic loss of life, and for the pain and suffering that the families of the 97 victims experienced on that day and in the many years that have followed.

“Collectively, the changes made since the Hillsborough disaster and in response to Rt Reverend James Jones’s report aim to ensure the terrible police failures made on the day and in the aftermath can never happen again.

“Police chiefs today are committed to responding to major incidents with openness and with compassion for the families involved. All police forces in England and Wales are signed up to the Charter for Families Bereaved through Public Tragedy. In signing this, they committed to putting the interests of victims and families above any other interest and acting with candour at every turn.”

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, College of Policing CEO, said: “Policing has profoundly failed those bereaved by the Hillsborough disaster over many years and we are sorry that the service got it so wrong. Police failures were the main cause of the tragedy and have continued to blight the lives of family members ever since.

“When leadership was most needed, the bereaved were often treated insensitively and the response lacked coordination and oversight.

Mr Marsh, who is from Liverpool, continued: “Today’s report explains long-term, and more recent, developments in how the police responds to mass fatality incidents. Hillsborough is a touchstone for long-lasting change in policing and there is a commitment from the leadership in policing to create a modern, dynamic police service which acts without fear or favour, and with integrity and empathy.

“The changes include all police forces in England and Wales signing up to a charter agreeing to acknowledge when mistakes have been made and not seek to defend the indefensible; a strengthened ethical policy which makes candour a key theme; and new guidance for specialist officers supporting families during a tragedy which learnt lessons from the Hillsborough Families Report, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the 2017 terrorist attacks.

“I would like to sincerely thank the former Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd James Jones, for his dedication and insight which continues to support the police service in undergoing essential reform.”

The report

Bishop Jones opened the report by stating, “the way in which families bereaved through public tragedy are treated by those in authority is in itself a burning injustice which must be addressed” and he said, “a duty of candour must be placed upon police officers, to ensure that they co-operate fully with investigations”.

Jones provided statements from the loved ones of those who died in the disaster and prasied them for not giving up on justice.

Hillsborough disaster

Ninety-seven Liverpool fans died as a result of a crush at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium on 15 April 1989, in the most deadly sporting event in history.

After a 27-year campaign by Hillsborough families, a jury concluded that the victims were unlawfully killed and that the fans did not contribute to their deaths.

The jury found police failures, stadium design faults and a delayed response from the ambulance service lead to the deaths of the 97 victims.

Merseyside response

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “The Hillsborough families have suffered unimaginable heartache for many years due to the profound failings of policing. Nothing and no-one can undo their suffering.

“But it is only right those failings are openly acknowledged, and that policing publicly commits to taking every possible action to make sure no other families are forced to endure the injustice they have experienced.

“Much has changed in policing in recent years and, as this report sets out, a huge amount of work has been undertaken to address the points of learning set out by Bishop James to ensure no other families are so badly let down.

“This report demonstrates that commitment from the very top ranks of policing and on behalf of all forces nationally and recognises that, as the Manchester Arena attack has demonstrated, there can be no room for complacency.

“As police leaders, we must strive to increase accountability and transparency within our justice system and enhance the support for victims of crime, especially those left bereft by public disasters, wherever possible.

“Care, compassion, openness, transparency and accountability are values which should be embedded in every layer of policing, criminal justice and government. That’s why I continue to support calls for the Government to bring forward a Hillsborough Law Now to rebalance the scales of justice and ensure these principles are enshrined throughout our system.”