February 1 – Britain’s police chiefs have promised a “cultural change” as they apologised to families of the victims in the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy, the UK’s worst sports disaster which saw 97 Liverpool supporters lose their lives.
Police and authorities spent years blaming fans for the disaster, and an initial inquest ruled the deaths an accident. But a campaign by survivors and victims’ families succeeded in getting the verdicts overturned in 2012.
Later, inquests and an independent inquiry absolved the fans of any responsibility.
“For what happened, as a senior policing leader, I profoundly apologise. Policing got it badly wrong,” said Chief Constable Andy Marsh, the College of Policing’s chief executive officer, as the body published a response to a 2017 report into the experiences of victims’ families.
“Police failures were the main cause of the tragedy and have continued to blight the lives of family members ever since.
“When leadership was most needed, the bereaved were often treated insensitively and the response lacked coordination and oversight.”
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