Liverpool, 3 December (H.S.): A landmark report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has concluded that 12 retired officers would have faced gross misconduct proceedings under today’s rules for their roles in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and the ensuing cover‑up, but none can now be disciplined because all left the service before investigations began.

The findings underline “fundamental failures” by South Yorkshire Police (SYP) on the day of the FA Cup semi‑final and “concerted efforts” afterwards to shift blame onto Liverpool supporters for the crush that unlawfully killed 97 fans.

Named Failings, No Sanctions

Those identified as having a case to answer include the late SYP Chief Constable Peter Wright and match commander David Duckenfield, each linked to 10 alleged breaches over catastrophic crowd management and dishonest accounts given to officials and the media.

Two senior West Midlands Police officers who led the original investigation, Mervyn Jones and Michael Foster, would also have faced gross misconduct for a biased and unduly narrow inquiry that failed to challenge SYP’s narrative, while a total of 92 complaints were upheld or found to disclose misconduct.

Investigators uncovered 327 altered police statements—around 100 more than previously known—illustrating a systematic effort to edit out criticism of the force before evidence went to the Taylor Inquiry.

Families Call It ‘Another Bitter Injustice’Bereaved relatives welcomed the formal acknowledgement of police wrongdoing but condemned the absence of accountability, describing the outcome as “another bitter injustice” after 36 years of legal battles.

Campaigners such as solicitor Nicola Brook and family members including Charlotte Hennessy and Margaret Aspinall said the process confirmed what they had long argued—that fans were failed, then vilified—yet delivers no prison sentences, dismissals or loss of honours for those implicated, prompting renewed calls to strip former SYP officer Sir Norman Bettison of his knighthood and police medal.

‘National Shame’ Spurs Hillsborough LawIOPC deputy director general Kathie Cashell said those affected had been repeatedly let down “before, during and after” the disaster, criticising both SYP’s complacent planning and West Midlands’ “missed opportunity” to expose failings far earlier.

The watchdog’s work, which ran alongside the Operation Resolve criminal inquiry, cost about £88m, with Operation Resolve adding roughly £65m, yet resulted in only one conviction—of Sheffield Wednesday secretary Graham Mackrell—for health and safety breaches.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the report a stark reminder of “one of the most significant failings in policing” and pointed to the new Hillsborough Law, which introduces a statutory duty of candour on public officials to help prevent future cover‑ups.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar