Hillsborough verdict

What do I mean? . It took 27 bloody years, for the truth to come out. The truth that we all knew all along. So that is a good day for British justice is it.?

Ah! I understand.

27 years ago we had no interest in football and never watched it. For some reason that day I was skimming through the channels (such as they were) when we noticed some people on the pitch. Something struck us as terribly wrong and we watched in horror as it all unfolded. I've never forgotten it and I can't imagine what it must have been like for those who were there, or had loved ones there.

Thinking on it more, it isn't really justice , perhaps a move towards justice , perhaps not ,

A bit of an aside but I find the terminology of "unlawful killing" rather odd. To me is sort of implies that some killing is lawful. Something like "killing by criminal negligence" would be better.

I suppose "lawful" killing would in self defence or in defence of life when there was no other option?

27 years, about bloody time.
All those police and media lies.
About time, why so slow? Surely the bereaved relatives weren't expected to give up and quietly go away.

I think that's just exactly what 'they' hoped would happen Elrel

I would imagine that those who attempted to cover up the truth, those who prevented the ambulances from entering the ground, those who told bare faced lies and changed their stories, those who blackened the name of innocent football supporters will have long since retired on their final salary pensions.

What do do now? I haven't got a clue.

And where is the policeman who was in charge at the time, on holiday in Portugal, spending his big fat pension.

Nothing will be done , just as nothing was done about abuse in children's homes , no one brought to justice for falsifying evidence resulting in many miscarriages of justice. There will be the usual - we are sorry and lessons will be learned

Anniebach I think some lessons have already been learned and the way crowds of football fans are policed now is quite different from how things were 27 years ago. That said, the organised cover-up of the original mistaken order to open the gate and further errors and stupid decisions once the terrible catastrophe was underway, as well as the appalling contempt for the dead and injured fans and their families remain a shocking blight on some of the police service, some politicians and some parts of the media.

The police don't care about criticism, they know they are above the law

That is so sad though isn't it Anniebach ? I was brought up to respect the police. I now feel quite bitter and wonder if dramas such as " in the line of duty" are maybe not as far fetched as we think .

I read this morning that Dukinfield (who ordered the gate to be opened) is a freemason as were many of the other high ranking officers who it seems, conspired to cover up the truth and to smear the fans. I hadn't read that before and felt a bit naive for not even having considered the malign influence of that powerful gang.

As absent has said, lessons about crowd safety and the way crowds of football fans are policed is very different than it was 27 years ago. The damage done to trust in the police service, politicians and the media by the way Hillsborough was both policed at the time and attempts made to hide the truth afterwards has undermined public confidence even further. Cynicism about public officials seems to be at an all time high. I don't believe society ever will, or ever should, return to accepting what those on high tell us but I'm not convinced that disbelief and cynicism is necessarily a positive thing. There are some good people in society which must be reflected in politics, police etc.

My husband was invited to join the Freemasons by a senior officer who told him it would speed up promotion through the ranks, he refused

Annie totally agree. And it's not getting any better in regard to police corruption.
I have been in court twice, once as a witness, where I've listened to the police lieing.

How sad I feel for society today and actually humankind to read all these posts.
The saying about all power corrupting seems to be coming true.

Petra, I have followed and been involved with miscarriages of justice for years , I was in the crowd when the Birmingham Six were released , I knew Paul Foot - because of his connection to Michael Foot , I met Stephen Lawrence's dad and then Doreen. I grew up in the same street where Timothy Evans sister lived , the mystery is - why did I marry a police officer

Annie you have brought tears to my eyes mentioning the Birmingham 6. And still it goes on. How odd that you married a policeman. Still, there's nothing you can do when Cupid shoots his arrow. Very sad time.

Let's not forget Thatchers help in this cover up. She gave this police force her full support as a thank you for their 'work' in the miners strike.

I have some sympathy with the police officers involved. Not for the lying, that was dreadful, but to have been put in that position in the first place.

Petra, in my defence I agreed to marry an art student who then decided to join the police force, this caused much amusement in my family because I was involved in campaigns against miscarriages of justice then as well as being active in demo's

May I give an example of why I am angry when j hear police officers saying they altered their note books because they were ordered to

When my husband was in uniform and on the beat he was told by the Sgt to get up the town and sort out the parking in the high street, he did so and booked two motorists. He was ordered into the inspectors office and was sworn at for booking Lord Powys then ordered to drop it , my husband said he would but only if the electrician was also let off otherwise he would continue with the paperwork for Lord Powys and the electrician , he was told he was heading for a short career with that attitude - when he died aged 28 , he was the youngest scene of crime officer this force had ever had, was a detective Sgt and qualified to rank of inspector , was also recommended for Bramshill by the chief constable . I have never accepted the annual invitation to the police memorial service , I cannot because the big brass are so damn corrupt and they corrupt new officers - but they failed with mine

Sorry of topic but I feel strongly about police corruption and it starts with small offences and continues until it reaches the likes of Hillsborough, the Birmingham six, Ian Tomlinson , the Lawrence's and hundreds more

Anniebach my DF too was told that joining the Freemasons would further his career. he too refused. This secretive group seems to be managing to keep themselves out of the public eye at the moment, but I have no doubt they are still as powerful.

annie you don't have to apologise to anyone for going off topic when sharing such a lovely story. We all know that there are thousands of good decent police officers, but it's at the top when the good men are muzzled.