• [Daily Mirror Icon]
• News
• UK News

'Damning, painful and pointless Hillsborough report is another insult'

The new IOPC Hillsborough report finding 12 police officers would have faced gross misconduct cases over the deaths of 97 Liverpool dans is 'insulting' all these years on, Brian Reade says

[The new IOPC report is a 'heart-wrenching reminder' of the pain suffered over the years]

View 5 Images

The new IOPC report is a 'heart-wrenching reminder' of the pain suffered over the years(Image: PA)

It's damning, its painful but the overriding feeling is how utterly pointless and insulting this report is.

For the police to admit that the blame for 97 deaths went right to the top of their organisations, but its too late for any officers to face justice, is just another insult tossed onto a mountain of injuries. Its a throw-away receipt for the final nail in the coffin. A heart-wrenching reminder of all those other kicks in the teeth suffered down the decades.

It reminds fans like me of walking away from the Hillsborough death scene to hear police blame us for kicking down a gate we had seen them open. Of the poison the South Yorkshire spread to the media about how we had killed our own, then stole from the corpses.

[Steve Kelly, brother of 38-year-old Michael Kelly, and Sue Roberts, sister of 24-year-old Graham Roberts, following the release of the IOPC report ]

View 5 Images

Steve Kelly, brother of 38-year-old Michael Kelly, and Sue Roberts, sister of 24-year-old Graham Roberts, following the release of the IOPC report (Image: PA)

Of the aggressive West Midlands Police visiting my house to take a survivors statement and only wanting to ask about how much alcohol Id seen consumed. Of decades of fighting for justice against a wall of lies, a barrage of fake allegations and a public belief we were the guilty party. As I read through the list of potential gross misconduct charges against senior policemen like Peter Wright, David Duckenfield and Norman Bettison, I thought back to the courtrooms and inquests Id watched them skilfully win over juries by hiding behind the badge and spouting a rehearsed script of deceit.

[The tragedy at Hillsborough stadium on April 15, 1989 claimed 97 lives]

View 5 Images

The tragedy at Hillsborough stadium on April 15, 1989 claimed 97 lives(Image: PA)

It turned my stomach to read that had all the police involved in the disaster and the cover-up been serving today they would be up on 27 charges of falsehood and prevarication, 16 of discreditable conduct, 19 of abuse of authority and 30 of neglect of duty. Yet not one will face action. Or lose a penny of their pension.

It took 13 years and 150 million to effectively tell us that back in the day coppers had a free pass to lie but theres nothing we can do about that now.

[Former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell]

View 5 Images

Former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

Cut through the forced apologies and THE TRUTH about Hillsborough is that, after 36 years, not one police officer has been found guilty of unlawfully killing 97 people in their care, or spreading lies which led many more to take their own lives, suffer mental health agonies or die early through stress, guilt or shame.

What this report should tell the wider British public is that if you ever questioned the need for a Hillsborough Law, which will ensure powerless people are given the legal and financial backing to take on vested interests, then heres your answer. And it cannot be watered down.

[Former South Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector and former Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Sir Norman Bettison ]

View 5 Images

Former South Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector and former Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Sir Norman Bettison (Image: Daily Mirror)

We need it so that in future there are no chilling reports about police behaviour which conclude that a culture of looking away and framing the innocent existed due to an absence of a duty of candour.

Thirty-six years ago it was people like me, and my fellow football fans, who were crushed and smeared by police lies. Tomorrow, without a full-strength Hillsborough Law it could be you and yours.

[Brian Reade]

Brian Reade

Mirror Columnist

[Daily Mirror Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.