After 27 years, a jury has ruled that the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster were ‘unlawfully killed’, bringing long overdue closure to friends and families of the victims.
The disaster happened during a semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest when 2000 fans were let in through an exit gate by police to alleviate overcrowding on the grounds, which caused the collapse of the stands.
The deaths were reported in The Sun as being a result of misbehaviour by drunk fans, and the coroner in the initial inquest ruled the deaths ‘accidental’, after prosecutors found insufficient evidence to charge anyone.
The second inquest, which ultimately exonerated the fans, began in 2014, which, after 800 witnesses and 267 days of evidence, ended up being the longest case to go before a jury in British legal history.
The announcement has been met with an outpouring of sympathy and relief, with expressing solidarity with the families of the victims who worked so hard to get the initial verdict overturned:
Justice at last for the 96 victims of the Hillsborough Disaster. Nobody should ever go to a football match & be killed. 27 years of misery
— Chris Kamara (@chris_kammy) April 26, 2016
finally, some justice & closure for the families of those who died at hillsborough & had to endure decades of horrific lies & vilification
— verging on moron (@my_awful_brain) April 26, 2016
Source: The ABC.
Photo: Getty Images / Christopher Furlong.
