David Duckenfield faces manslaughter charges

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Why has it taken 28 years ?

The man was lying to the cameras whilst bodies were still being carried out of the stadium.
 
Well at least those that have been charged can now also have their day in court,what will be said who knows but at least they will get the chance to put their case to a jury.
 
Bettison is accused of having lied about his own involvement within South Yorkshire police after the disaster, including describing his role as “peripheral” to Sir David O’Dowd, then chief inspector of constabulary, when he applied to be the chief constable of Merseyside police in 1998.

Let's hope he loses his Knighthood and Police Pension!
 
When you consider the number of police notebooks and witness statements that were altered (said to number over 200), it's disappointing to see that only six people are facing charges.
 
When you consider the number of police notebooks and witness statements that were altered (said to number over 200), it's disappointing to see that only six people are facing charges.

The charge is manslaughter though - not fraud or perjury or perverting the course of justice.

The problem with going after anybody for manslaughter on this is that football ground safety was overhauled after the disaster - that's a tacit admission that there was an issue with the grounds. It will be the same if police procedures relating to management of crowds was overhauled.
 
The charge is manslaughter though - not fraud or perjury or perverting the course of justice.

Sir Norman Bettison (a former Chief Constable) is charged with multiple offences of misconduct in a public office due to allegations of lying in the aftermath of the event.

Donald Denton (a former Chief Superintendent) and Alan Foster (a former Detective Chief Inspector) are charged with intent to pervert the course of justice in relation to the altering of witness statements.

"The British police are the best in the world.....".
 
The dignity of the families is humbling in the extreme. They remain articulate and resolute despite everything that has been thrown at them (and it has).

So many colluded to lie, cheat, and divert attention from the facts it is difficult know what the absolute truth was/is and who the real offenders were/are. In the midst of this melee, we have a quiet group of bereaved families demonstrating to all that they are the absolute polar opposite to what the Press, Police and others wanted us all to believe.

It is these families that should be honoured and celebrated.
 
Manslaughter by gross negligence is evidently a charge that's quite difficult to prove --beyond reasonable doubt.

Gross Negligence Manslaughter

This is where the death is a result of a grossly negligent (though otherwise lawful) act or omission on the part of the defendant. The law in respect of this has been clarified in the case of R v Adomako (1994) 3 All ER 79 where a four stage test for gross negligence manslaughter known as the Adomako Test was outlined by the House of Lords:

The test involves the following stages:

a) the existence of a duty of care to the deceased;
b) a breach of that duty of care which;
c) causes (or significantly contributes) to the death of the victim; and
d) the breach should be characterised as gross negligence, and therefore a crime.

There is no manslaughter by "Lawrence Recklessness", overruling R v Seymour (1983) 2 AC 493.
 

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