Campaigners have expressed concern after suggestions a police watchdog investigation into Hillsborough and its aftermath would be “empathetic” to officers accused of wrongdoing.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct [IOPC] is compiling a landmark report focusing on more than 150 complaints - including police cover-up allegations.
But an organisation for retired officers sparked frustration with an update provided to its members following talks with the IOPC, which has since written to the group to provide "clarity".
READ MORE: Hillsborough: The devastating failure of British justice
The scope of the IOPC report includes the planning and preparation for the FA Cup semi-final, the response to the unfolding tragedy, and the aftermath - including police information passed to the media, politicians and disaster inquiries.
A total of 156 complaints and misconduct allegations are being assessed.
Campaigners hope the investigation will formally expose police efforts to cover up the causes of the tragedy and instead shift blame onto the Liverpool supporters in attendance.
But many were left frustrated after a West Midlands branch of the National Association of Retired Police Officers [NARPO] provided a public update to its members following a meeting with the IOPC in January.
Sixty eight complaints and six misconduct cases relate to West Midlands Police’s handling of its investigation into the disaster.
The NARPO branch reported: “[The] IOPC are fully aware many WMP individuals are vulnerable in terms of age, health etc. and have undertaken to be as empathetic as possible.”
It also stated that any officers who could be named “will have the opportunity to comment on the wording used, and to make representations to IOPC” and that “the [IOPC] decision maker appeared to be quite willing to amend wording/judgements where an individual makes a strong case".
Among those who flagged concerns was Deanna Matthews, whose uncle, Brian, was among the 97 innocent men, women and children unlawfully killed as a result of Hillsborough.
She said: “No such empathy has been shown to the complainants, who are also most often the victims.
“A vast majority of these complaints had been submitted in the aftermath of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report and during the inquest. A decade ago. And still left in limbo. With no closure. No accountability.”
Nick Braley, who survived the tragedy and highlighted the NARPO update on Twitter, told the ECHO the “tone” of the overview concerned him, as well as how far the report appeared to be from publication.
He said: “NARPO has come out of that meeting seemingly thinking ‘don’t worry, it’s all OK. That doesn’t strike me as an impartial conversation.
“A lot of people said do not engage with the IOPC because they did not trust them. I did, because if you don’t complain then how can you complain if they don’t get held to account?
“But it feels to me all the delays aren’t serving the complainants or justice, all they are serving is those who are seeking to avoid scrutiny. They have got to get on with it because the delays are helping no-one.”
He accepted NARPO - which has since amended its update - may have misinterpreted elements of its meeting with the IOPC.
Asked what he hoped the final report would provide, he said: “Having been let down by the criminal justice system this is what is left.
“We have had the truth about how people died. What we don’t have is any clarity of truth about the cover up.
“And the cover up, to me, is crystal clear - the police had a narrative and they did everything in their power to build the evidence to fit their narrative, including conducting blood tests on the victims.
“That cover up has never been fully exposed. What I want to get out of this is for that truth to be exposed. It is important that the IOPC does a proper job.”
The IOPC investigation will look at those blood tests as well as allegations surrounding changes made to witness statements and the release of misleading information by the police.
Its findings will be published in an overarching report that, the watchdog has said, will “provide a comprehensive account of the events surrounding the disaster and will help to address many of the questions remaining about the actions of the police before, during and after the tragedy”.
Cases may be passed to the Crown Prosecution Service for criminal prosecutions to be considered, though only where new evidence has emerged if a complaint has previously been assessed.
The report will also state whether officers would have had a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct, or performance issues raised, had they still been serving at the time of the IOPC investigations.
Retired officers will escape formal sanction, but may be the subject of the conclusion: “If this officer was still serving, he/she would likely be subject to misconduct / gross misconduct proceedings.”
The IOPC has written to NARPO about the update it provided in order to “clarify” some of the details, and some of the wording has since been amended.
This includes the suggestion the IOPC “appeared to be quite willing to amend” wording where a strong case was made being changed to the IOPC having an “open mind” about representations.
Sarah Green, decision maker for the Hillsborough investigation at the IOPC: “Since the conclusion of the trial [of three men, including two former South Yorkshire Police officers, all of whom were cleared of perverting the course of justice in connection with the aftermath of the tragedy] in May 2021, work to finalise the individual conduct and complaint reports, and the overarching final report for the Hillsborough investigations has been ongoing.
“As part of our commitment to keep interested parties updated we provided a detailed written update to families and complainants in December 2021. Similar updates are being provided to bodies representing the police and subjects.
“This is normal practice as an independent body to ensure all interested parties are kept up to date, and is standard for any IOPC investigation. Since the outset of our investigation we have always prioritised informing bereaved families first about any key developments.”
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