Police body CEO admits Hillsborough post was incorrect

The head of a UK police organization has expressed regret over a comment made following the release of a major report into the Hillsborough disaster. The inquiry, conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), determined that 12 officers involved in the response to the tragedywhich claimed 97 lives at Sheffield Wednesday's stadiumwould have faced gross misconduct charges if still in service.

Following the report, the South Yorkshire Police Federation posted a statement describing the IOPC findings as "opinion dressed up as fact." Mukund Krishna, CEO of the Police Federation, later called the post "wrong" and acknowledged the "unimaginable loss" suffered by Liverpool families.

In a letter to Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, who had criticized the statement as a "disgrace," Krishna admitted that the comment "fell far short of the care, sensitivity and respect that those lost at Hillsborough, survivors and bereaved families deserve."

The disaster occurred on 15 April 1989, during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, resulting in the deaths of 97 fans due to a stadium crush.

The removed post from the South Yorkshire Police Federation claimed that former officers, including elderly or deceased individuals, had no opportunity to respond to the allegations in the report and criticized what it called a "trial by media."

Margaret Aspinall, whose son James died at age 18, described the Federation's response as an "insult." Krishna emphasized that while the statement aimed to highlight the importance of due process, it was expressed insensitively and failed to honor the experiences of Hillsborough families.

The 2021 acknowledgment by South Yorkshire and West Midlands police of "serious errors" led to compensation for over 600 people affected by the subsequent cover-up.

Krishna stated, "We are clear that policing in 1989 and afterward failed the 97, their families, and the city of Liverpool." He added that families' long-term experiences require a higher standard from law enforcement, and discussions about due process do not diminish the failures of the past.

He has offered to meet with victims' families to apologize and review the report's implications on policing. MP Ian Byrne, who attended the 1989 match, welcomed the gesture and described it as the minimum owed to those affected.

Author: Jackson Miller