Hillsborough: David Duckenfield found not guilty of manslaughter

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... ld-verdict

We don't have a general Politics Thread right now so new thread - but this seems like big news given the controversy around it...

After the verdict, at a press conference in the Cunard building in Liverpool, where relatives of the victims were watching the proceedings via a relay, Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: “I blame a system that’s so morally wrong within this country, that’s a disgrace to this nation.

Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James was among those killed, added: “When 96 people, they say 95, we say 96, are unlawfully killed and yet not one person is accountable. The question I’d like to ask all of you and people within the system is who put 96 people in their graves? Who is accountable?”

Duckenfield pleaded not guilty, arguing that the disaster was caused by other factors including historic safety flaws of Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium itself, and failings by some of the other police officers. His barrister, Benjamin Myers QC, pointed to Duckenfield’s inexperience as a match commander, and argued he was being held to a “higher standard” than others.

If they can't find him guilty what chance have the people of Grenfell got?

I don't agree with trying to blame a single person for such a complex incident involving so many different failings. if anyone needs to get a prison sentence for the way victims were treated its the officials who had the coroners reports changed to falsely say they were drunk at the time.

No doubt there'll be yet another inquest.

There is no true justice in situations like this, but those involved in failings that contributed to the tragedy should be held accountable for their part.

To be honest. As an Irish Liverpool fan this always hits home, not least because I remember as a 13 year old that something was wrong. Then my oldest brother walked in later in tears, just to see my brother crying evoked the emotion, but when you look into the case. The lives lost, some of them children, well it strikes a cord.

I think Duckenfield is guilty as hell but if he just admitted he was out of his depth, made a grave error of judgement this would subside but he hasn’t, not really, he was overjoyed at the rags coverage and never made any effort to correct the record. They did clear their lost families names and Liverpool fans in general and also got an official Apology from west Minster so I hope, hope that provides some solice.

Duckenfield treated football fans like pretty much every other police office did during the time. They thought all fans were animals and that came straight from the doorstep of no. 10. Those fans were as much a victim of the overall policing of football as they were of failures on the day itself.

Hillsborough: David Duckenfield found not guilty of manslaughter

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