finally justice for the 96?

[leefer]

I feel sorry for the police and ambulance staff on duty that day....most probably dont like footy and were doing a job...nothing more.
They have/had to carry the horror of that day for ever that day as well.....it is the forces after the event that did the cover up...not these poor guys.
I seem to remember the Bradford fire disaster and some incredibly brave coppers with there bodies alight saving lives.....so let us remember it wasnt the majority on the day but as usual a selfish minority after the event.
Not a great Liverpool fan because of Heysel..........but that was an awfull day with young old and dying on semi final day.
Seem to remember a Lad from Fairford was among the dead.....good day for the families and dare i say it Mr Cameron.

[thedarkprince]

Yes I get it, they were innocent, I understand that. I also personally believe (opinions, remeber those?) that the holier than thou attitude DOES exist so was trying (unsuccessfully) to see if people thought the fans had used the national sympathy to make amends for Heysel.

I'll get back in my box.

[thedarkprince]

Back on the point about justice... some people seem to suggest that they have it just by getting these papers released but that's complete shit. They now have the truth, justice will only some when people are held accountable for their actions or inactions.

[mrverve]

I must admit, up until today I've never really had more than just a passing interest in this, it was a subject that I honestly didn't know much about.

Reading the facts that came out today and as someone who regularly goes to football matches, I can't imagine what those poor (majority young) people went through and what their families and friends have had to deal with for the past 23 years and will continue to have to deal with for the rest of their lives. I googled 'Hillsborough disaster' and some of the pictures are truly horrific, it just doesn't bear thinking about.

The Mirror article really brought it home in the last paragraph, it took a disaster like Hillsborough to make football as safe as it is today. It's just such a shame it took 96 lives when it could've all been avoided.

[JanAageisGod]

"Compassion fatigue" is one thing and I get the concept of grief junkies. The whole Diana thing I found very odd.

But that's still separate from what these papers say was a systematic plot, that seems to have begun while people were still dying, from the police to falsify, lie, smear, doctor documents and propagate false information to get themselves off the hook.

That's enough to make me utterly seethe with rage. And I'm essentially an old, bald, cynical sod who is mostly too lazy to move off a chair.

[Shaw Rosso]

The people of Liverpool have shown true dignity over the last 23 years, the loss they have suffered and the way their loved ones died is incomprehensible for most of us, now they have the truth I hope they get the justice that they fully deserve.

I wouldn't even use The Sun to line a rabbit hutch, and how Cameron comes out of this with any credit is beyond me, the man is a cunt, always was, always will be

[Bewster]

I don't really want to get invloved in any debate on this. It was a disaster and could've happened anywhere. Were there  any fans drunk or without tickets - yes. Did they cause the deaths of 96 people - no. The fact that the families have had to deal with the deaths of loved ones and then fight for this justice sickens me.

We were at home to Watford on the day and I can remember it coming up on the scoreboard. I got home and watched it and wept.

I doubt if any fan who got home that night didn't think "there for the grace of god go I".

Watch the last minute or so of this - beautiful words on a sad, sad day :

[Abrahammer]

and how Cameron comes out of this with any credit is beyond me, the man is a cunt, always was, always will be

I'm no fan of Dave but some people do love any excuse for a dig at him, what exactly has he done wrong with this situation?

[Shaw Rosso]

I was asking how he comes out of this with any credit rather than what he had done wrong.

[chalkies_shorts]

I am no fan of Cameron or any Tory but he could have sat on this for another 9 years which would have seen him out of office and it be someone else's problem - he didn't. I thought his words were right - there was no whitewash and he din't hold back. This is about as big a public bollicking as any government has given.
Its now over to the Attorney General to see if charges should be brought and personally I hope they are. I'd like to see some of these arrogant useless cunts brought to account. Its not only the way they acted in the first place that makes me fucking seethe its the way the cowards covered it up and tried to piss on the dead with their lies, deceit and contempt. Any copper who changed their account should be done for perverting the course of justice. Lets see if any of these cunts wants to make an apology instead of leaving it to people who had no involvement whatsoever.

[THE FLASH]

Nothing will happen....remember these words.

[thedarkprince]

Any copper who changed their account should be done for perverting the course of justice.

I don't think it was the officers that edited the accounts, it sounds like this was ordered by someone much higher up as it formed part of the evidence handed over to the inquest.

But agree that whoever ordered this should be held accountable.

[joteddyred]

Back on the point about justice... some people seem to suggest that they have it just by getting these papers released but that's complete shit. They now have the truth, justice will only some when people are held accountable for their actions or inactions.

And after 23 long years the families that lost loved ones will probably feel that is the next step.  Surely the Senior Police Officers must be prosecuted now?  It's all too public.

Something that hasn't been touched on is amongst some of the findings revealed today was the fact that 41 of those that died could potentially have been saved had ambulance crews got onto the pitch and treated them.  Although a number of families already had evidence that their loved ones were alive long after the original coroner's cut off of 3.15pm, this news must be heartbreaking.

[ghanimah]

I am no fan of Cameron or any Tory but he could have sat on this for another 9 years which would have seen him out of office and it be someone else's problem - he didn't. I thought his words were right - there was no whitewash and he din't hold back. This is about as big a public bollicking as any government has given.

Agreed, cynically I thought that they would sit on it too, or at least it wouldn't release all the documents or heavily redact them. We all knew it was a cover-up, but I confess I'm still taken aback slightly at the sheer scale of it. Given that there were always 'oddities' from the outset, and that successive Home Secretaries refused to reopen the case leads to suspicion that the cover-up went right to the top

[@MacPhlea]

Trouble is this happened 23 years ago... the senior Police officers ail by now be retired and probably dead. They are the ones who should and would face prosecution

The ones they are quoting as 'still serving' would in likelihood have been junior PC's who were following orders - no excuse, I know but if they were ordered to change there statement then it will be very difficult to prosecute them for perverting the course of justice. In fact, the usual coverall charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice would also be difficult to prove as they weren't colluding they were following orders.

Morally I would hope that there was at least one police officer who refused to change their statement or at least retain a copy of the original one and thing bring this to the attention of the IPCC  - my fear is that the IPCC were aware and were instructed not to act which makes a mockery of the whole independent thing...