Hillsborough Report

The police certainly weren't a force to be proud of then.

If the police did not themselves think they had done wrong, why would they have gone to such lengths to cover it up? There is no excuse for them.

Did anyone else see a programme a little while ago remembering the 70's? There was a bit showing how football matches were then. The hooliganism and gang warfare before, during and after the games. The hatred towards the police. The attitude of the police. Horrendous as it was Hillsborough was almost inevitable. The good to come out of it has been the restructuring of stadia with seating etc. bringing more families back in and the enormous change in policing attitudes. They've still got a long way to go but hopefully cover ups like Hillsborough are a thing of the past. (I do wonder exactly how much else has been lied about- I suspect this is the tip of a large iceberg)

Agreed.

Lilygran The independent Panel Report endorses Lord Justice Taylor's key finding that 'the main reason for the Hillsborough disaster was a failure in Police control'. I understand that too many people were allowed into a caged area from where there was no escape, nor were concerns taken seriously when it became clear that problems were developing inside. Other authorities were also at fault because it seems to have been known that the grounds did not meet minimum safety standards but the match was allowed to go ahead. However the faults were compounded by the immediate cover-up by South Yorkshire Police with officers being pressurised (forced?) to change their witness statements in order to transfer the blame on to the fans. The whole thing is shameful.

I feel so very, very sorry for the families of the people who died at Hillsborough and I have every sympathy with the hurt and grief they have suffered for so many years, feeling that their loved ones were being blamed for their own deaths. Like blaming the people who died in the WTC bombing for being in the buildings when the terrorists struck. But I can't help asking - if the blame lies with the inadequate policing on the day, what were they failing to police? What did they fail to control?

I watched with similar feelings Greatnan. I don't know how the families have managed to remain so dignified in the face of lies and insults about their loved ones, including children in many cases. I also think there is probably a great deal of truth in your earlier post linking the Police cover up to their role in the miners' strike. As a Sheffielder I will never forget what Thatcher did to the steel industry, and having flexed her muscles there she moved on to break the miners. That was the first time I truly realised that the Police could indeed be used for political ends. Terrible times. I am glad the truth is coming out at last and my heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones at Hillsborough.

I watched the programme last night with mounting anger. One bereaved father said he thought it was the start of the breakdown of society and our trust in the police and politicians. The apologies from the various services concerned did not strike me as sincere, as they are 23 years too late.
I wonder if anybody will be charged with any crime?

DH and younger son were at Hillsborough as Forest supporters. Mobile phones were not common then so we had no direct information just bits on TV. I also had my father in law on the phone every 15 minutes asking if I had heard anything yet. My husband eventually rang from a motorway service station call box and there was massive relief all round.

Every time Hillsborough is mentioned I get a shiver of remembrance so my heart really goes out to the people who have been so badly affected for over 23 years.

Absentgrana. Sorry!

I'm not surprised. Always half expect cover ups, lies etc. in situations like this.

Zenella I had justice rather than revenge in mind.

Absebtgrana. I agree with you - this certainly won't be the end of it. And as I think you are probably suggesting, there are those who will be out solely for revenge. Having simmered for such a long time, you can,t imagine what goes on in their brains. It's extremely sad and complicated as to how everything can possibly be resolved.

On my ex-pat forums, there used to be a number of ex police officers who would fly to the defence of any officer accused of misconduct, saying there were just a few rotten apples in the barrel (where have we heard that before?). They have been strangely silent of late.

I don't think this will be the end of it – it being both the terrible events of Hillsborough and police corruption.

In the first case, there are plenty of family members whose anger has been simmering for 23 years and who are determined to seek an overturning of the coroner's verdict and legal redress where possible. I suspect a few minor figures might be thrown to the wolves (not that I am calling bereaved families wolves), but anyone now in a position of authority and power will almost certainly get away with it.

In the case of police corruption, we had the instance of Ian Tomlinson only a short while ago. Immediately after the media reported his death, the police put out a story about how they had tried to go to his aid when he collapsed but were prevented from doing so by protesters. This was refuted only when a witness produced photographs taken on his mobile phone. They are still at it.

Never thought it was anything other than a cover up for political and financial gain played out against the heartbreak of ordinary people's loss. When will we realise that here in UK our police politicians etc are as corrupt as those in countries we so roundly criticise . The difference is they do not take the moral high ground while the UK continues to do so.

Such a long time for the truth to come out,the family's who lost loved ones all those years ago have conducted themselves with dignity throughout the whole awful process and maybe now they can have some kind of closeure.

There could be a case against the owners of the ground for corporate manslaughter as it was known to be unsafe. However, I don't think there has been a single successful prosecution under those laws so far. Big business can, literally, get away with murder.

I think it was an MP for Liverpool who was on Channel 4 news just now. He said that the people of Liverpool always believed that the government at that time allowed the police cover up because they were indebted to the police for their support during the miner's strike.

116 witness statements altered by the police. That really is shameful.

I think where a number of people have died in the same disaster, the coroner can simply pick a likely time of death for the last person when there isn't any evidence to the contrary. I hope releasing all the papers will bring some closure for all those families who lost people at Hillsborough.

You can understand the nightmare it must have been at the time on the part of the police, and the confusion. But not a cover-up after the event. Things needed to come into the open straight away.

It is going to be very painful for the relatives of the people who still lived after the 3.15 point, if they identify those particular people.

Yes. It is ubelievably shameful.

" Police carried out criminal record checks on deceased to 'impugn reputations' "

I think it was because there was collusion at the highest levels of the emergency services and the government. I am not optimistic that something similar could not happen again.

Makes it well nigh impossible to trust anyone. Lets hope this brings some sort of closure but why should relatives have had to fight so long and hard for this?