January 31, (THEWILL) – The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and College of Policing in the United Kingdom have issued an apology to the survivors and families of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster that took place 34 years ago.
THEWILL recalls that 97 Liverpool supporters lost their lives in a stadium crush during an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest in 1989. In 2012, the original verdict of accidental death in the inquest was quashed and a new inquest was conducted in 2016.
The 2016 inquest found that the victims died due to gross negligence manslaughter. The NPCC and College of Policing are the first major bodies to respond to the report on the disaster, which was released five years ago by the former Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones.
The CEO of the College of Policing, Chief Constable Andy Marsh, stated: “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.”
Martin Hewitt, the NPCC Chair, said: “I am deeply sorry for the tragic loss of life… Collectively, the changes made since the Hillsborough disaster and in response to Rt Reverend James Jones’ report aim to ensure the terrible Police failures made on the day and in the aftermath can never happen again.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
