logo
Fury among families after senior Hillsborough officers absolved by police watchdog

Fury among families after senior Hillsborough officers absolved by police watchdog

The Guardian03-04-2025

A 12-year investigation into the Hillsborough disaster by the police watchdog has concluded that no senior South Yorkshire police officers were guilty of misconduct for falsely blaming misbehaviour by Liverpool supporters.
That police case was wholly rejected in 2016 by the jury at the second inquest, who determined that no behaviour of Liverpool supporters contributed to the disaster, which happened on 15 April 1989 at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium.
The jury found that the 97 people who died due to a crush on the Leppings Lane terraces were unlawfully killed, as a result of gross negligence manslaughter by the police officer in command, Ch Supt David Duckenfield.
Bereaved families of the 97 and survivors have fought a decades-long campaign for the truth and accountability, and have always protested that the South Yorkshire police mounted a false case to minimise its culpability, and blame the victims.
The conclusion of the investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which started in 2012, has coincided with delays to the government's promised 'Hillsborough law', which would impose a duty of candour on police and public officials, for which families have also long campaigned.
Louise Brookes, whose brother Andrew, 26, was one of the 97 people killed, said she was 'livid' at the IOPC's conclusions. She said that in 2021, South Yorkshire police and West Midlands police, which was brought in after the disaster to investigate, agreed a settlement with families and survivors for misfeasance in a public office, based on a claim that the forces perpetrated a cover-up.
'It feels like a cover-up of a cover-up,' Brookes said.
In a letter notifying bereaved families of its findings, the IOPC did find Duckenfield and three other senior officers culpable of gross misconduct for failures at the semi-final. Duckenfield was also found to have committed gross misconduct for the lie he told at 3.15pm as people were dying, falsely telling his senior officer, the assistant chief constable Walter Jackson, and football officials that Liverpool supporters had forced open an exit gate.
In fact Duckenfield had himself ordered the gate to be opened, to relieve a crush outside the Leppings Lane end turnstiles. After an independent police investigation for the IOPC termed Operation Resolve, 11 separate elements of gross misconduct by Duckenfield were found, including for ordering the opening of the gate, and failing to safely direct the people who came through it.
Duckenfield did not order the closure of a tunnel leading to crowded central 'pens' on the terrace, and the lethal crush developed after people who came through the exit gate went into those pens, rather than to the sides.
Jackson was found culpable of gross misconduct for failures of planning and his response to the disaster; the former superintendent Roger Marshall for crowd management outside the Leppings Lane turnstiles and for asking Duckenfield to open the exit gate; and gross misconduct was also found by the former superintendent Bernard Murray, Duckenfield's second-in-command in the police control room.
Duckenfield was prosecuted for gross negligence manslaughter after the inquest verdict; he was acquitted in 2019.
The IOPC said in the letter it had found no case to answer against any senior South Yorkshire police officers who were investigated for whether they gave inaccurate, false or deliberately misleading evidence or 'irrelevant criticism of fans' behaviour' after the disaster.
Senior officers were also cleared over the instruction given to officers not to write their accounts of the day in their official police notebooks, and a subsequent process of amending the accounts made by officers. One officer, the former detective chief inspector Alan Foster, was found culpable of gross misconduct, after an investigation into whether senior officers put 'undue pressure' on some other officers who refused to make alterations to their original accounts.
A complaint was upheld against one officer on duty in the control box, the former police constable Trevor Bichard. He was found to have deleted from the evidence provided to the 1989 inquiry by Lord Justice Taylor a log entry which recorded that at 2:55pm an officer had requested the tunnel leading to the central pens be closed. Mervyn Jones, the then assistant chief constable of West Midlands police, was also found culpable of gross misconduct for instructing the deletion of 'policy files', and retaining policy books 'in his personal possession' after he retired.
No officers will face misconduct proceedings, the IOPC has previously said, because they have all retired. The findings against officers, which include dozens more individual complaints currently being notified to families, are opinions of the IOPC.
The IOPC has explained of its findings: 'Like the [2012] Hillsborough Independent Panel report and the inquests, we found no evidence to support police accounts to the media, the Taylor inquiry and both sets of inquests, which suggested that the behaviour of supporters caused or in any way contributed to the disaster.'
However in a letter to families last month, the watchdog said that while South Yorkshire police did seek to 'deflect the blame from themselves', with no duty of candour required the force 'was entitled, within the law at the time, to present its 'best case' and be selective with the evidence it presented'.
Keir Starmer promised at Labour's conference in Liverpool in September to introduce the Hillsborough law by this month's 36th anniversary of the disaster, but the deadline will be missed, as families have argued that the proposals do not deliver the required duty of candour. Starmer cancelled a visit to Liverpool last week where he was due to announce the new law to families.
Charlotte Hennessy, who was six when her father, Jimmy, 29, was unlawfully killed at Hillsborough, said she was 'frustrated and very disappointed' after learning of the delay.
'In my opinion, the prime minister has used the deaths of the 97, their anniversary and the Hillsborough law, to gain himself votes,' she said.
'There just seems to be this continual pattern, where he says things and then he takes them back. And to do that on the back of a Hillsborough anniversary – I'm appalled by it.'
Starmer's spokesperson said: 'We remain fully committed to bringing in a Hillsborough law which will include a legal duty of candour for public servants and criminal sanctions for those who refuse to comply. We're working on the bill at pace, and we'll set out next steps shortly.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears
Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears

Rhyl Journal

time10 minutes ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears

The girl, known as Child Q, was strip searched by officers in Hackney, east London, on December 3 2020 after her school wrongly suspected her of carrying cannabis. This involved the removal of the 15-year-old's clothing including underwear, her bending over and having to expose intimate parts of her body while she was menstruating, the panel heard. Trainee detective constable (TDC) Kristina Linge, Pc Victoria Wray and Pc Rafal Szmydynski, who were all Pcs at the time, all deny gross misconduct over their treatment of the girl. On Thursday, TDC Linge, who conducted the strip search alongside Pc Wray, told the misconduct panel in London she informed Child Q she 'might be arrested' when the girl asked what could happen if she refused to be searched, but that there had been 'no threat of arrest'. 'Will you accept you were giving Child Q the option of being strip searched or arrested?' Elliot Gold, for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), asked. 'There were no options given like that,' the officer replied. 'Do you accept that saying that to a 15-year-old might make them feel frightened?' Mr Gold continued. 'Yes,' TDC Linge responded. 'Do you accept that saying that to a 15-year-old might make them feel under duress?' he asked. 'Potentially,' she responded. The panel heard that when asked previously what the officer had proposed to do if she found cannabis on Child Q, TDC Linge answered: 'As per legislation, a juvenile found in possession must be arrested and brought to custody'. TDC Linge previously said Child Q had 'consented' to the search, but admitted under cross-examination on Thursday that this was not accurate. The officer confirmed she had completed equality training, including on unconscious bias and discriminatory stereotypes, and said she was 'aware' of stereotypes relating to black people. She said she did not 'see the relevance' of the fact Child Q was being questioned by two white police officers. Mr Gold asked: 'Would you accept that a stereotype of black people is they may more likely to be stopped and searched?' 'No,' TDC Linge replied. 'Would you accept that a stereotype of black people is they are more likely to be in receipt of use of force by police?' he continued. 'No,' she responded. The 46-year-old denied she 'did not recognise Child Q as a child' and was, in effect, 'treating her as older than she was'. The former Pc previously admitted a series of failings in her actions during the incident, including not making a record of the search or considering proportionality, and recognised the search should not have happened, accepting it had caused the child 'harm and distress'. When asked whether she would have done anything differently had the circumstances been 'exactly the same' but Child Q had been white, TDC Linge replied: 'No.' TDC Linge said she suspected Child Q was carrying a 'small amount' of cannabis, based on what she could smell and information from teachers. Pc Szmydynski, who stood outside the room while the search took place, told the panel on Thursday that the school's deputy safeguarding lead and headteacher had repeated the phrase that Child Q was a 'danger to herself and others'. The panel heard Pc Szmydynski requested attendance of another female to 'assist us with searching if need be', before speaking to Child Q to assess whether there were grounds for a search. Child Q told him she smelled of cannabis as she had been with someone earlier that day who had smoked the drug which, along with information from teachers, formed grounds for the search, the officer said. He denied that a 'strip search' was discussed in front of him or between himself, the teachers and Pc Linge. The officer, who joined the Met Police in 2014, described the child as 'very cultured and very polite', adding that she was not rude 'at any point' during their interaction. The panel heard the child informed the officers who searched her that she was menstruating, but the search continued during which her sanitary pad was exposed. When no drugs were found, Child Q's hair was also scoured. According to the allegations, Pcs Linge and Szmydynski performed a search that exposed the girl's intimate parts when this was 'disproportionate in all the circumstances'. Pcs Linge and Wray are also accused of performing or allowing the search in a manner which was 'unjustified, inappropriate, disproportionate, humiliating and degrading'. All of this happened without authorisation, in the absence of an appropriate adult, and with no adequate concern being given to Child Q's age, sex, or the need to treat her as a child, and that the child's race was an effective cause of this, it is also alleged. Pcs Szmydynski and Linge are further accused of giving a 'misleading record' of the search afterwards. On Wednesday, TDC Linge told the hearing she did not accept accusations of breaches of respect of authority and respecting courtesy. The girl will not be giving evidence at the tribunal 'because of the psychological effects' the search has had on her, the panel has heard. Outrage over Child Q's treatment led to protests outside Stoke Newington Police Station. Scotland Yard has previously apologised over the incident. The hearing continues.

Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears
Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears

Leader Live

time5 hours ago

  • Leader Live

Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears

The girl, known as Child Q, was strip searched by officers in Hackney, east London, on December 3 2020 after her school wrongly suspected her of carrying cannabis. This involved the removal of the 15-year-old's clothing including underwear, her bending over and having to expose intimate parts of her body while she was menstruating, the panel heard. Trainee detective constable (TDC) Kristina Linge, Pc Victoria Wray and Pc Rafal Szmydynski, who were all Pcs at the time, all deny gross misconduct over their treatment of the girl. On Thursday, TDC Linge, who conducted the strip search alongside Pc Wray, told the misconduct panel in London she informed Child Q she 'might be arrested' when the girl asked what could happen if she refused to be searched, but that there had been 'no threat of arrest'. 'Will you accept you were giving Child Q the option of being strip searched or arrested?' Elliot Gold, for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), asked. 'There were no options given like that,' the officer replied. 'Do you accept that saying that to a 15-year-old might make them feel frightened?' Mr Gold continued. 'Yes,' TDC Linge responded. 'Do you accept that saying that to a 15-year-old might make them feel under duress?' he asked. 'Potentially,' she responded. The panel heard that when asked previously what the officer had proposed to do if she found cannabis on Child Q, TDC Linge answered: 'As per legislation, a juvenile found in possession must be arrested and brought to custody'. TDC Linge previously said Child Q had 'consented' to the search, but admitted under cross-examination on Thursday that this was not accurate. The officer confirmed she had completed equality training, including on unconscious bias and discriminatory stereotypes, and said she was 'aware' of stereotypes relating to black people. She said she did not 'see the relevance' of the fact Child Q was being questioned by two white police officers. Mr Gold asked: 'Would you accept that a stereotype of black people is they may more likely to be stopped and searched?' 'No,' TDC Linge replied. 'Would you accept that a stereotype of black people is they are more likely to be in receipt of use of force by police?' he continued. 'No,' she responded. The 46-year-old denied she 'did not recognise Child Q as a child' and was, in effect, 'treating her as older than she was'. The former Pc previously admitted a series of failings in her actions during the incident, including not making a record of the search or considering proportionality, and recognised the search should not have happened, accepting it had caused the child 'harm and distress'. When asked whether she would have done anything differently had the circumstances been 'exactly the same' but Child Q had been white, TDC Linge replied: 'No.' TDC Linge said she suspected Child Q was carrying a 'small amount' of cannabis, based on what she could smell and information from teachers. Pc Szmydynski, who stood outside the room while the search took place, told the panel on Thursday that the school's deputy safeguarding lead and headteacher had repeated the phrase that Child Q was a 'danger to herself and others'. The panel heard Pc Szmydynski requested attendance of another female to 'assist us with searching if need be', before speaking to Child Q to assess whether there were grounds for a search. Child Q told him she smelled of cannabis as she had been with someone earlier that day who had smoked the drug which, along with information from teachers, formed grounds for the search, the officer said. He denied that a 'strip search' was discussed in front of him or between himself, the teachers and Pc Linge. The officer, who joined the Met Police in 2014, described the child as 'very cultured and very polite', adding that she was not rude 'at any point' during their interaction. The panel heard the child informed the officers who searched her that she was menstruating, but the search continued during which her sanitary pad was exposed. When no drugs were found, Child Q's hair was also scoured. According to the allegations, Pcs Linge and Szmydynski performed a search that exposed the girl's intimate parts when this was 'disproportionate in all the circumstances'. Pcs Linge and Wray are also accused of performing or allowing the search in a manner which was 'unjustified, inappropriate, disproportionate, humiliating and degrading'. All of this happened without authorisation, in the absence of an appropriate adult, and with no adequate concern being given to Child Q's age, sex, or the need to treat her as a child, and that the child's race was an effective cause of this, it is also alleged. Pcs Szmydynski and Linge are further accused of giving a 'misleading record' of the search afterwards. On Wednesday, TDC Linge told the hearing she did not accept accusations of breaches of respect of authority and respecting courtesy. The girl will not be giving evidence at the tribunal 'because of the psychological effects' the search has had on her, the panel has heard. Outrage over Child Q's treatment led to protests outside Stoke Newington Police Station. Scotland Yard has previously apologised over the incident. The hearing continues.

Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears
Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears

Glasgow Times

time5 hours ago

  • Glasgow Times

Child Q told she ‘may be arrested' if she did not consent to search, panel hears

The girl, known as Child Q, was strip searched by officers in Hackney, east London, on December 3 2020 after her school wrongly suspected her of carrying cannabis. This involved the removal of the 15-year-old's clothing including underwear, her bending over and having to expose intimate parts of her body while she was menstruating, the panel heard. Trainee detective constable (TDC) Kristina Linge, Pc Victoria Wray and Pc Rafal Szmydynski, who were all Pcs at the time, all deny gross misconduct over their treatment of the girl. On Thursday, TDC Linge, who conducted the strip search alongside Pc Wray, told the misconduct panel in London she informed Child Q she 'might be arrested' when the girl asked what could happen if she refused to be searched, but that there had been 'no threat of arrest'. 'Will you accept you were giving Child Q the option of being strip searched or arrested?' Elliot Gold, for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), asked. 'There were no options given like that,' the officer replied. 'Do you accept that saying that to a 15-year-old might make them feel frightened?' Mr Gold continued. 'Yes,' TDC Linge responded. 'Do you accept that saying that to a 15-year-old might make them feel under duress?' he asked. 'Potentially,' she responded. Three Met officers deny gross misconduct (Jordan Pettitt/PA) The panel heard that when asked previously what the officer had proposed to do if she found cannabis on Child Q, TDC Linge answered: 'As per legislation, a juvenile found in possession must be arrested and brought to custody'. TDC Linge previously said Child Q had 'consented' to the search, but admitted under cross-examination on Thursday that this was not accurate. The officer confirmed she had completed equality training, including on unconscious bias and discriminatory stereotypes, and said she was 'aware' of stereotypes relating to black people. She said she did not 'see the relevance' of the fact Child Q was being questioned by two white police officers. Mr Gold asked: 'Would you accept that a stereotype of black people is they may more likely to be stopped and searched?' 'No,' TDC Linge replied. 'Would you accept that a stereotype of black people is they are more likely to be in receipt of use of force by police?' he continued. 'No,' she responded. The 46-year-old denied she 'did not recognise Child Q as a child' and was, in effect, 'treating her as older than she was'. The former Pc previously admitted a series of failings in her actions during the incident, including not making a record of the search or considering proportionality, and recognised the search should not have happened, accepting it had caused the child 'harm and distress'. When asked whether she would have done anything differently had the circumstances been 'exactly the same' but Child Q had been white, TDC Linge replied: 'No.' TDC Linge said she suspected Child Q was carrying a 'small amount' of cannabis, based on what she could smell and information from teachers. Pc Szmydynski, who stood outside the room while the search took place, told the panel on Thursday that the school's deputy safeguarding lead and headteacher had repeated the phrase that Child Q was a 'danger to herself and others'. The panel heard Pc Szmydynski requested attendance of another female to 'assist us with searching if need be', before speaking to Child Q to assess whether there were grounds for a search. Child Q told him she smelled of cannabis as she had been with someone earlier that day who had smoked the drug which, along with information from teachers, formed grounds for the search, the officer said. He denied that a 'strip search' was discussed in front of him or between himself, the teachers and Pc Linge. The officer, who joined the Met Police in 2014, described the child as 'very cultured and very polite', adding that she was not rude 'at any point' during their interaction. The panel heard the child informed the officers who searched her that she was menstruating, but the search continued during which her sanitary pad was exposed. When no drugs were found, Child Q's hair was also scoured. According to the allegations, Pcs Linge and Szmydynski performed a search that exposed the girl's intimate parts when this was 'disproportionate in all the circumstances'. Pcs Linge and Wray are also accused of performing or allowing the search in a manner which was 'unjustified, inappropriate, disproportionate, humiliating and degrading'. All of this happened without authorisation, in the absence of an appropriate adult, and with no adequate concern being given to Child Q's age, sex, or the need to treat her as a child, and that the child's race was an effective cause of this, it is also alleged. Pcs Szmydynski and Linge are further accused of giving a 'misleading record' of the search afterwards. On Wednesday, TDC Linge told the hearing she did not accept accusations of breaches of respect of authority and respecting courtesy. The girl will not be giving evidence at the tribunal 'because of the psychological effects' the search has had on her, the panel has heard. Outrage over Child Q's treatment led to protests outside Stoke Newington Police Station. Scotland Yard has previously apologised over the incident. The hearing continues.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store