The jury at an inquest into the Hillsborough disaster has found that the 96 victims were unlawfully killed.
Police action has been blamed for the disaster, with poor planning and preparation ahead of the match found to have contributed to the dangerous situation that developed at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium. The jury has also agreed that there were errors and omissions by commanding officers, which actively contributed to the crush that developed in the Leppings Lane stand during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.
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Moreover, the jury has denied that there was any behaviour on the part of Liverpool supporters that caused or contributed to the disaster. This directly contravenes contemporary reports by South Yorkshire police and headlines written directly afterwards – most notably on the front page of the Sun.
The Crown Prosecution Service has said that it will now consider bringing charges against those to blame. The jury also identified the safety certification of the stadium as having played a part in the disaster, as well as matchday preparation by Sheffield Wednesday.
The families of the victims have celebrated their victory outside court. Many have been actively campaigning against South Yorkshire police for the last 27 years, after the force sought to shift blame to supporters in the aftermath of the tragedy.
