The 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster were unlawfully killed, a jury found yesterday, blaming police for the worst tragedy in the history of British sport.
Following the longest-running inquest in English legal history, jurors concluded that policing decisions at the ill-fated match in 1989 “caused or contributed” to the deaths and amounted to “gross negligence.”
Relatives of the victims have fought a 27-year campaign to get to the heart of what happened during the disaster and were angry at an initial inquest ruling that the deaths were accidental.
Photo: Reuters
They emerged from the courtroom hugging and in tears, holding pictures of their loved ones and a scarf reading “Justice.”
They linked hands above their heads and sang the Liverpool club anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone and chanted: “Justice for the 96.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to their “extraordinary courage” in their “long search for the truth.”
“Landmark day as the Hillsborough inquest provides long overdue justice for the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the tragic disaster,” Cameron said on Twitter.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it would now consider whether to bring criminal charges.
The disaster occurred on April 15, 1989, at an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough in northern England.
Seeking to alleviate a crush that had developed outside the ground at the Leppings Lane End shortly before kickoff, David Duckenfield, the police match day commander, ordered the opening of an exit gate. It enabled 2,000 fans to pile into the already over-full terracing pens behind the goal at that end, causing a fatal crush.
The mammoth inquest, which began in March 2014, took place in a purpose-built courtroom in Warrington, northwest England, 25km outside Liverpool.
Coroner John Goldring, who presided over the inquests, asked the nine-member jury to decide on 14 key points — with the issue of whether the victims were unlawfully killed the central question that caused them the most difficulty.
The jury members had to be convinced that Duckenfield had breached his duty of care to those who died. They needed to be satisfied that his breach of duty caused the deaths and that it amounted to “gross negligence.”
They concluded it was unlawful killing by a seven-to-two majority.
The jury also concluded that the behavior of Liverpool supporters on the day did not cause or contribute to the disaster.
Under English law, an inquest exists solely to determine how the deceased came by their death. It does not impose criminal sentences.
However, an inquest verdict can act as a springboard for other court proceedings.
CPS special crime and counterterrorism division head Sue Hemming said the service would now “formally consider whether any criminal charges should be brought against any individual or corporate body based upon all the available evidence.”
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