ANDY BURNHAM, BRITAIN’S shadow home secretary, welcomed today’s Hillsborough inquest verdicts as “real justice” and said that accountability for the tragedy that killed 96 people must now follow.
An inquest jury ruled that the football fans who lost their lives at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final were unlawfully killed, bringing closure to the victims’ families in their 27-year fight for justice.
Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service will now decide whether to bring criminal charges against the individuals and organisations responsible for the stadium disaster.
In a statement, Burnham said:
This has been the greatest miscarriage of justice of our times. But, finally, it is over. After 27 long years, this is real justice for the 96, their families and all Liverpool supporters. The survivors of this tragedy can finally be remembered for what they were on that day – the heroes of Hillsborough who tried to help their fellow fans. The Hillsborough Independent Panel gave us the truth. This Inquest has delivered justice. Next must come accountability. For 27 years, this police force has consistently put protecting itself above protecting those hurt by the horror of Hillsborough. People must be held to account for their actions and prosecutions must now follow.Disgracefully, lawyers for retired police have attempted to continue the cover-up in this courtroom. They made it an adversarial battle in defiance of the Lord Chief Justice’s ruling. This has been brutal on the Hillsborough families and put them through hell once again. The current leadership of South Yorkshire Police needs to explain why it went back on its 2012 apology at this Inquest, prolonging the agony for the families.The sense of relief we feel is tempered by the knowledge that this day has taken far too long in coming. The struggle for justice has taken too great a toll on too many. But the Hillsborough families have at long last prevailed and finally their loved-ones can rest in peace.
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Steve Rotheram, MP for Liverpool Walton, said:
I have waited 27 years for this moment. But I know it comes too late for many. I was there on the day and saw the horror unfold before my very eyes. Before we’d even buried our dead, the hurt of loss was compounded by the lies and smears. I remember picking up a newspaper and feeling sick to the pit of my stomach. They inflicted terrible pain on a city at its moment of maximum grief. I’ve seen how friends have suffered. This is a momentous day but they should never have had to wait so long. The truth is out there for all to see. Justice has been served by the verdicts and now it is about accountability.”
[image alt="Hillsborough Inquest" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2016/04/hillsborough-inquest-13.jpg" width="100%" height="" title="" class="aligncenter" /end]
Margaret Aspinall, whose son James died aged 18, was speaking outside the inquest (via The Guardian):
People say we’ve been on a long journey. I don’t look on it as a long journey, I look on that as going on holiday. But we’ve been on some very bumpy roads, we’ve been climbing up mountains and never reached the top. We’ve got to the peak now lads! Every one of us has got to the peak of that mountain and got what we rightfully deserved. I knew in the end we will overcome them, they will not rule us.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said that the inquest “provides long overdue justice.”
https://twitter.com/David_Cameron/status/724918489698459648
https://twitter.com/David_Cameron/status/724918616307712001
Messages of support flowed in from across the football community, led by a host of former Liverpool stars and the club’s Merseyside neighbours Everton:
https://twitter.com/Carra23/status/724906924693704704
https://twitter.com/Realaldo474/status/724908060922236928
https://twitter.com/Roy_Evo/status/724909126506168320
https://twitter.com/Everton/status/724929015832842240
https://twitter.com/BVB/status/724918541405835264
No you’re the Crystal Palace of Merseyside
@Nucky: in that Liverpool have won more games, scored more goals and conceded less than palace is it?
@Mick Power: you’ve won one more game then palace so far this month and both of you got spanked by city
@Nucky: didn’t realise it goes by the month, the premier league have the wrong table up.
@Nucky: First English team to ever complete the Historic treble in 1984 league cup, league title, european cup. 5 times winner’s and retainers you’ll never sing that.OUCHHHH ACERS girlygirl xx
@Mrs. Nugent: I do hope there’s a cure for what you have. You strange little boy
@Mrs. Nugent: poor Marcus but you’ll never be the first English team to win the European cup or win the ‘clean sweep ‘of all trophies available to clubs.
@Johnny Bravo: that was Chelsea
@Johnny Bravo: first team with the clean sweep that is
@Johnny Bravo: its great knowing its eating you up. 1984 : original treble completed by the Pool. First done by us. Haahhah OUCHHHH ACERS girlygirl xx
@Philip Mc dermott: The clean sweep includes the Intercontinental cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea nor any other English team have won them.
@Mrs. Nugent: dream on petal x
@Johnny Bravo: 5 TIMESSSSS YOU’LL NEVER EVER EVER EVER SING THAT OUCHHHHH ACERS girlygirl xx European cup for keepies baby girl pop down to Merseyside if you ever want to see the real deal. It lives there permanently. Hahaahahahahahahaahaa poor darling xx
@Johnny Bravo: Liverpool have won as many Super cups as the Mancs have won European cups you mug, we have double the Europeans titles. And that is a FACT my sweet little potatoe !!
@Johnny Bravo: sorry i thought you meant actual trophies played over months not one off games.
@Mrs. Nugent: you’ve never won them all angry boy and never will. I’m so glad you have a silly song about the past to sing cause you don’t have one about the future. BTW what time is it ? 5 past mingolet?? Blahahahaha Ciao jealous ladyboy …
@Mrs. Nugent: It happened 5 times …..it happened 5 times …….at the Etihad Stadium …..it’s happened 5 times
There ya go ya big girls blouse
Need to get some real defenders so, sharpish!!
Beginning to believe that mignolet is a good keeper doesn’t help that defence changes every game
@Trevor Carpenter: Drunk already on a Sunday lad?
@Trevor Carpenter: Delusional!
@Trevor Carpenter: valid intelligent comment imo
More like the RodneyTrotters !
Surely Klopp would love a winning record that came close to that of the Harlem Globetrotters
Damn right your not!! they always won