David Cameron has said he is profoundly sorry for the "double injustice" of the Hillsborough disaster.
Speaking after an independent report into previously unseen documents about the tragedy, the prime minister said police had failed to do enough and had also tried to blame Liverpool fans.
Ninety-six fans died after a crush at Sheffield Wednesday's ground in 1989.
Kelvin MacKenzie, Sun editor when the paper ran a story blaming fans, offered "profuse apologies" for his headline.
The report comes after 23 years of campaigning from Liverpool fans and relatives of the victims to find out exactly what happened on the day of the disaster, which saw the biggest loss of life at any UK sporting event.'Truth is out'
Liverpool FC chairman Tom Werner said: "The world has heard the real truth about what happened at Hillsborough."
The Hillsborough Justice Campaign has welcomed the prime minister's apology.
And Trevor Hicks, who chairs the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: "We feel a breakthrough has been made.
"The truth is out today and the justice starts tomorrow."
But he rejected Mr MacKenzie's apology as "too little, too late".
Mr MacKenzie wrote the headline The Truth on the controversial front page report, published in the days following the disaster, which alleged fans had picked pockets of victims, urinated on police and beat up officers trying to save lives.
He said in a statement he had been misled and added: "I published in good faith and I am sorry that it was so wrong."
The report was compiled by the Hillsborough Independent Panel, which has been scrutinising more than 450,000 pages of documents for the past 18 months.
It report found of 164 police statements identified for "substantive amendment", 116 were "amended to remove or alter comments unfavourable to South Yorkshire Police".
Mr Cameron told the House of Commons the panel found the safety of the crowds at Hillsborough had been "compromised at every level" and a swifter response from emergency services could have saved lives.
He said there were three main areas highlighted in the report - failures by the authorities in protecting those at the ground, an attempt to blame the fans and doubt cast on the original coroner's inquest.
Mr Cameron said the independent panel's review found:
New evidence about how the authorities failed, including documents which show a delay from the emergency services when people were being crushed
Shortcomings in the response by the ambulance service and other emergency services in addition to failings by police
Rescue attempts were held back by failures of leadership and co-ordination
Victims' families were correct in their belief that some of the authorities attempted to create a "completely unjust" account of events that sought to blame the fans
"Despicable untruths" about the behaviour of fans were part of police efforts "to develop and publicise a version of events that focused on allegations of drunkenness, ticketlessness and violence"
Police officers carried out police national computer checks on those who had died in an attempt "to impugn the reputations of the deceased"
No evidence of any government trying to conceal the truth
Mr Cameron added "deficiencies" at the ground were well known and it failed to meet minimum safety standards.
He apologised for the double injustice, which was both in the "failure of the state to protect their loved ones and the indefensible wait to get to the truth", and in the efforts to denigrate the deceased and suggest that they were "somehow at fault for their own deaths".
He said details of the report were "deeply distressing" and said it showed the Liverpool fans "were not the cause of the disaster".'Potential to survive'
Relatives of the Liverpool supporters who died at Hillsborough were handed the report at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on Wednesday morning.
It showed police and emergency services made "strenuous attempts" to deflect the blame for the disaster on to innocent fans.
The panel said it found evidence the police's submissions to the original inquiry led by Lord Chief Justice Taylor "emphasised exceptional, aggressive and un-anticipated crowd behaviour".
It said the first inquiry also emphasised "large numbers of ticketless, drunk and obstinate fans involved in concerted action, even 'conspiracy', to enter the stadium".
Mr Cameron said Attorney General Dominic Grieve would review the report as quickly as possible in order to decide whether to apply to the High Court to order a new inquest.
The families have always challenged the original inquest which concluded all the victims were dead or brain dead 15 minutes after the game had kicked off at 15:00.
By analysing post mortem test results, the panel found 28 of the 96 victims had no" obstruction of blood circulation" and there was "separate evidence that, in 31, the heart and lungs had continued to function after the crush".
Dr Bill Kirkup, panel member and associate chief medical officer in the Department of Health said that, if the emergency response had been swifter, almost half the victims could have had some chance of survival.
"In total, 41 people therefore had potential to survive after the period of 3:15. What I can't say is how many of those could have been saved.
"But I can say is that the potential is of that order of magnitude."
Liverpool Walton Labour MP Steve Rotheram said it was a "momentous day for Liverpool".
He said: "Finally, we have the undeniable truth. The truth that many innocent people could and should have been saved.
"A truth that unequivocally confirms that Liverpool fans were not the cause of the disaster and that drink was not a significant factor."
He added: "It is not about retribution it is about responsibility. Today we have made history but now we must change history."
Sheffield Wednesday issued an apology on Wednesday morning to all the families whose relatives were involved.
The club said on its website: "Throughout the compilation stage, the club has worked closely with the panel and the other donating organisations to ensure that, in line with the ethos of maximum disclosure, we have been totally transparent.
"The club would like to offer our sincere condolences and an apology to all the families who have suffered as a consequence of the tragic events of 15 April 1989."
A number of the victims' families have been campaigning for the Hillsborough documents to be released for more than 20 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment