6 charged over 1989 disaster
Mixed emotions for families of Hillsborough victims: May
Four former senior policemen were among six people charged Wednesday over the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster in England which killed 96 Liverpool soccer supporters.
Prosecutors said there was “sufficient evidence to charge six individuals with criminal offenses” including manslaughter by negligence, perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office.
The disaster left a deep scar on Liverpool and Britain as a whole, leading to a decadeslong struggle by relatives of victims to hold those in authority to account.
Former South Yorkshire Police officer David Duckenfield, who was the match com- mander on the day of the crush, faces charges of manslaughter by gross negligence.
Prosecutors said they “will allege that David Duckenfield’s failures to discharge his personal responsibility were extraordinarily bad and contributed substantially to the deaths of each of those 96 people who so tragically and unnecessarily lost their lives.”
They added that Duckenfield could not be charged with the manslaughter of Tony Bland – the 96th casualty – since he died almost four years later.
Former officer Norman Bettison was charged with four offenses of misconduct in public office relating to “telling alleged lies about his involvement in the aftermath of Hillsborough and the culpability of fans.”
Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed the decision to file charges but told parliament it would “be a day of mixed emotions” for the families.
The disaster occurred on April 15, 1989 during an FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Sheffield, northern England.
Fans were crushed against fences inside the ground as supporters poured in at kickoff.
Of those who died, 78 were aged 30 or younger and 38 were children or teenagers. The youngest victim was 10- year- old Jon- Paul Gilhooley, cousin of former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard.
Officers Donald Denton and Alan Foster, along with South Yorkshire Police solicitor Peter Metcalf, were charged with intending “to pervert the course of public justice” over allegedly attempting to cover up the police’s culpability in the crush.
Graham Mackrell, former secretary at the Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, whose Hillsborough ground hosted the match, faces three charges over alleged safety failings at the stadium.
Two investigations into the disaster resulted in files on 23 suspects for prosecutors to consider.