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Justice: Familes of the 96 hug outside the Hillsborough inquests in Warrington. PA Wire/Press Association Images

Hillsborough verdicts: Crown Prosecution will now consider bringing criminal charges

Two criminal investigations set to report to Crown Prosecution Service by the end of the year.

BRITAIN’S CROWN PROSECUTION Service will formally consider whether any criminal charges should be brought after an inquest jury ruled that 96 football fans were unlawfully killed in the Hillsborough Stadium disaster in 1989.

The landmark verdict represents justice for the families of those who died in Britain’s worst sporting tragedy following their 27-year fight to expose the cover-up which attempted to deflect blame away from the authorities’ failings and onto the dead.

“In due course, the CPS will formally consider whether any criminal charges should be brought against any individual or corporate body based upon all the available evidence,” a statement said.

“We would ask that everyone is mindful of the continuing investigations and the potential for future criminal proceedings when reporting or publicly commenting on the inquest’s conclusions.”

Both the Independent Police Complaints Commission and Operation Resolve, the criminal investigation into the tragedy, said that they expect their respective criminal investigations to be concluded by the end of the year.

They will then forward the evidence to the CPS to decide whether it can proceed with criminal charges.

“The conclusion of the inquests is another milestone and a day when my thoughts are with the families and friends of those who died as a result of the disaster,” Rachel Cerfontyne, Deputy Chair of the IPCC said.

“Now the inquests have ended our role in providing documents and other material to support the Coroner is over. However the end of the inquests does not mark the end of the process. Our attention now focuses on concluding our criminal investigation into the aftermath of the disaster.

This is by far the biggest and most complex investigation ever undertaken by the IPCC.

Assistant Commissioner Jon Stoddart, the officer in overall command of Operation Resolve said “today is a day for the families.

They have fought hard for many years for these new inquests and today brings an end to this particular part of their journey.

“My thoughts and those of my team are with the families and friends of the 96 as they take stock of what has happened over the past two years at the court in Warrington and begin to understand the determinations of the jury.”

Jury finds 96 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed at Hillsborough

A 27-year wait for justice – The Hillsborough timeline

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