Thirty-six years after 97 people were crushed to death at a football match at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has concluded that no police officers will face disciplinary proceedings for their role in the UK’s ‘worst sporting disaster.’
The IOPC investigation, which started in 2012, has now published a report which confirms there were widespread police failures on the day. IOPC Deputy Director General, Kathie Cashell, explains there was ‘deep complacency of South Yorkshire Police in its preparation for the match, followed by its fundamental failure to grip the disaster as it unfolded.’
However, it was concluded that whilst 12 of the police officers involved would now face gross misconduct hearings for their role in the disaster and its aftermath, they could not be charged as they retired prior to the enactment of a law in 2017 which made ex-officers able to answer misconduct charges.
Furthermore, despite the report finding the police withheld information and amended witness statements of officers in an attempt to deflect blame, the police had not broken any laws or codes of conduct in doing so at the time because they did not owe any legal duty of candour.
Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James in the disaster, recognised the hard work of the IOPC but says she ‘cannot accept or understand how 97 people can be unlawfully killed, the police can lie, and nobody is held accountable.’
In September 2025, the families were successful in their fight to enact the ‘Hillsborough Law,’ which seeks to deter cover-ups by placing a duty of candour on public officials and authorities to promote transparency and accountability. It also creates an offence of ‘misleading the public,’ which the Government says will create ‘a public service that truly acts in the public interest.’
Nicola Brook, a lawyer representing many of the bereaved families says that, whilst the law has now changed to require a duty of candour from public bodies, the families affected by the Hillsborough disaster are ‘left with yet another bitter injustice: the truth finally acknowledged, but accountability denied.’
In a statement, the South Yorkshire Police Federation claimed ‘the report is a significant waste of taxpayers’ time and money’ and is ‘not fair or balanced.’ They said the former police officers involved, who are now elderly or have passed away, did not have the benefit of due process through ‘the ability to formally respond to the allegations.’
In response to the Federation’s statement about the officers being elderly, Charlotte Hennessy, whose father James lost his life in the disaster, said ‘our loved ones didn’t get to live to have that privilege.’
