Hillsborough - the human side of information work Jan Parry HonFCLIP, CILIP Vice President Hillsborough – the human side of information work    The Hillsborough Disaster The Hillsborough.

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Transcript Hillsborough - the human side of information work Jan Parry HonFCLIP, CILIP Vice President Hillsborough – the human side of information work    The Hillsborough Disaster The Hillsborough.

Hillsborough
- the human side of information work
Jan Parry
HonFCLIP, CILIP Vice President
Hillsborough
– the human side of information work



The Hillsborough Disaster
The Hillsborough Independent Panel
– my role
The role of information
Saturday
th
15
April 1989

The disaster took the lives of 96 people

94 on the day itself

95th three days later

96th in 1993

The 97th victim
Warnings of potential disaster
1981- serious crushing injuries, no fatalities
1987 – crushing
1988 – crushing alleviated using barriers to
create queues to turnstiles
AND once the pens were full, the central tunnel
was closed
Leading up to the disaster 1989

Hillsborough chosen for FA cup semi final despite
known safety issues

Experienced Match Commander moved jobs

New Chief Supt. promoted less than 3 weeks
before the match = new Match Commander
Leading up to the moment

Police Operational order not amended

Roadworks on the M62 – delayed fans

Leppings Lane not closed to Sheffield
traffic until 2.22 p.m

Crowd not managed into queues for
turnstiles
Leading up to the moment

Central Pens 3 & 4 full at 2.50 p.m

Tunnel to the central pens remained open

Lack of signage and stewarding to other
standing areas
Leading up to the moment

Kick off due at 3.00 p.m. but crowds still outside
the turnstiles

2.47 p.m Police outside radioed to Police Control
Box asking for Exit Gate C to be opened

Match Commander gave the order to open one of
the large exit Gates - Gate C
Leading up to the moment

Police inside the ground unaware

Tunnel to central pen remained open

3.04 pm - a crash barrier in pen 3 gave way

3.06 pm - Match stopped
What happened next?

Confusion

Gymnasium - temporary mortuary

Senior Officials were told fans had forced Exit
Gate C

Witness statements taken
The Official Investigations

Lord Justice Taylor
– Interim report July 1989
- Final report January 1990

West Midlands Police -

The Inquest -
investigated South Yorks. police
Dr Stefan Popper, Coroner 19 November
1990

Lord Justice Stuart Smith scrutiny – Feb 1998
15 April 2009

20th Anniversary Memorial

Andy Burnham

Early release of all documents?

The Hillsborough Independent Panel
How the Programme Developed

My Role – Research, Families, Disclosure

The Panel
◦
◦
Terms of reference
Information experts - Sarah Tyacke & Christine
Gifford
The Hillsborough Independent Panel
The families
Finding family information

◦
◦
◦
◦

Hillsborough Family Support Group
Hillsborough Justice Campaign
Hope for Hillsborough
All the others
Managing expectations & sensitivities
Finding the documents


Which organisations?
Scanning, digitising, cataloguing &
redaction

Secure System – Lextranet

Researchers

Medical knowledge
What was found?

1979 – last valid safety certificate

Poor communication between all agencies

Minimal medical treatment at the ground

Witness statements were changed

Re-examination of all Post Mortems revealed
differences
Disclosure Day
12 September 2012

FAMILIES FIRST

Panel disclosure

41 could have lived
Disclosure Day & beyond

Disclosure Day
– David Cameron apology
 The
Report & the Website
http://hillsborough.independent.gov.u
k
More impact

Apologies

Resignations

Original inquests
quashed on 19 Dec 2012
What did we do next?

Post disclosure support for families

The Permanent Archive of documents

Video & Audio footage

Recommendations for record keeping for
police and coroners
What is happening now?

New inquest
- Lord Justice Goldring

IPCC investigation
- misconduct or criminal behaviour by police officers
after the tragedy

Operation Resolve
– Asst. Commissioner Jon Stoddart
All decisions made (or not) and actions undertaken by
those agencies/organisations who had responsibility of
duty of care to those attending the match on 15 April
1989
Information and the Truth



Information Professionals
The Hillsborough Independent Panel’s report
is backed by documentary evidence
Records and information delivered the truth
“And truth must now lead to justice.”
Rt Rev James Jones, Bishop Of Liverpool (retired)
Useful Websites
Hillsborough Independent Panel
http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk
Hillsborough Inquests
http://hillsboroughinquests.independent.gov.uk
IPCC investigation
http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/investigations/hillsborough
Operation Resolve
http://operationresolve.co.uk