By Andrew Warshaw
April 26 – The 96 Liverpool fans who died in Britain’s worst ever sporting disaster were unlawfully killed, the longest inquest case in British legal history dramatically concluded today.
After considering two years of evidence when the original verdicts of accidental death were overturned following a far-reaching inquiry and new hearings ordered, a jury of six women and three men decided that mistakes by police were to blame for the lethal 1989 Hillsborough stadium crush at the FA cup semifinal between Liverpool against Nottingham Forest.
Significantly, the jury, which had been considering 14 questions into the cause of the disaster, judged that the behaviour of Liverpool fans did not contribute to the dangerous situation at the turnstiles. Instead police planning errors “caused or contributed” to the tragedy.
Amid emotional scenes at the makeshift courtroom in Warrington, northern England, when the conclusion of unlawful killing was revealed – almost 27 years to the day since the disaster struck – families who always suspected wrongdoing by the authorities hugged each other in the public gallery while outside a spontaneous chorus of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the Liverpool anthem, was sung.
The victims of Hillsborough, aged between 10 and 67 and including 37 teenagers – died in an overcrowded, fenced-in enclosure on a warm, sunny April afternoon within minutes of kickoff. Harrowing images of young fans crushed against metal fences and bodies lying on the pitch shocked the world.
The disaster led to a complete revolution in football stadium design, with all-seater grounds and better security. But amid allegations of a cover-up – with police initially denying any responsibility and accusing drunken, ticketless Liverpool fans of being responsible – relatives and friends of those who lost their lives fought a relentless campaign for the truth.
Many attended almost every day of the fresh inquests, which began on 1 April 2014. A statement on behalf of the families said the jury’s conclusions “completely vindicate” the long fight for justice and had brought “significant progress on the journey… and sense of closure to the bereaved.”
Andy Burnham, the Labour politician who had long called for a new inquiry into what happened, commented: “This has been the greatest miscarriage of justice of our times.
“After 27 long years, this is real justice for the 96, their families and all Liverpool supporters. This inquest has delivered justice. Next must come accountability. For 27 years, this police force has consistently put protecting itself above protecting those hurt by the horror of Hillsborough. People must be held to account for their actions and prosecutions must now follow.”
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