Ex-police chiefs charged over 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster that killed 96

[June 28, 2017]  By Estelle Shirbon

LONDON (Reuters) - Prosecutors on Wednesday announced criminal charges against six people including ex-police chiefs over the 1989 Hillsborough soccer stadium crush in which 96 fans died, Britain's worst sporting disaster.

The victims, all Liverpool supporters, died in an overcrowded, fenced-in enclosure at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, northern England, during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Police at first blamed the tragedy on drunken fans, an explanation that was always rejected by the families of the victims and the wider Liverpool community. Relatives spent decades campaigning for justice for the 96.

"I have decided that there is sufficient evidence to charge six individuals with criminal offences," said Sue Hemming, head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division at the Crown Prosecution Service, in a statement.

The most high-profile defendant is former police chief superintendent David Duckenfield, who was in charge of police operations at Hillsborough on the day of the disaster. He was charged with manslaughter.

Relatives of the victims, who were told of the decision in private shortly before it was made public, embraced outside the building where they were briefed in Warrington, northern England.

Barry Devonside, who survived the stadium crush but lost his 18-year-old son Christopher, pumped his fist as he emerged from the building. He was visibly emotional as he told reporters how he had felt going into the briefing.

"I was frightened, absolutely frightened that we were going to be let down again. It's so very hard to fight for justice over the period of time that the families have had to fight," he said.

"And we've been smacked in the face on a number of occasions. Fortunately the families have acted with the utmost of dignity," he said.

He was referring to a series of flawed investigations in the past.

MANSLAUGHTER BY GROSS NEGLIGENCE

Duckenfield was charged with the manslaughter by gross negligence of 95 men, women and children, Hemming said.

"We 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," she said.

Louise Brooks and Donna Miller campaign for victims of the Hillsborough disaster at Parr Hall in Warrington, Britain June 28, 2017. REUTERS/Andy Yates

He was not charged over the death of the 96th casualty, who died four years after the disaster, because of legal time limits that were in force at the time.

Norman Bettison, a former police chief constable, was charged with four offences of misconduct in public office relating to telling alleged lies about his involvement in the aftermath of the disaster and the culpability of fans.

Two other ex-police chiefs, Donald Denton and Alan Foster, were charged with perverting the course of justice over alleged changes they made to witness statements used during the original investigation and inquest into the Hillsborough deaths.

A lawyer who acted for police, Peter Metcalf, was also charged with perverting the course of justice over similar allegations.

Graham Mackrell, who was Sheffield Wednesday Football Club's company secretary and safety officer at the time of the disaster, was charged with contravening safety rules and failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of others.

The defendants, other than Duckenfield, will appear at Warrington Magistrates' Court on August 9 for a first hearing in their prosecution.

Duckenfield is in a different situation because he was privately prosecuted in 1999, following which a senior judge imposed a stay. Prosecutors will need to apply to a High Court judge to lift the stay and order that the public prosecution go forward.

(Additional reporting by Andy Yates in Warrington, England and Kate Holton in London; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Angus MacSwan)

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