Fresh probe is said to begin into the deaths of the 96 football fans who lost their lives in 1989 Hillsborough disaster have begun in Warrington. The probes were ordered in December 2012 when the high court squashed the original accidental death verdict which stood for more that 20 years. The
It came after new evidence was revealed by the Hillsborough Independent Panel about Liverpool FC’s FA Cup semi-final where the men, women and children died. The inquests are set to last a year. “Over the coming year new light will be shone on Britain’s worst sporting disaster”, reports Judith Moritz.
All the victims were Liverpool supported watching their favorite players grace the field. The inquests, are being held in a purpose-built courtroom, the biggest in England and Wales. Proceedings will begin with the selection of 11 jurors who are expected be sworn in on Tuesday.
Lord Justice Goldring, a Court of Appeal judge who is acting as coroner, will open the hearing with a statement to the court. Families of the victims will be invited to read out “background statements” – or what they are calling “pen portraits” – of their loved ones. The hearing will then pause for several weeks for lawyers to consider new pathological evidence into how each of the 96 died.
Over the course of the investigation, jurors are expected to hear evidence on themes including stadium safety, emergency planning, crowd management and the response of the emergency services.
Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool’s manager at the time of the disaster, said: “We were there, we experienced it, but what about the families, the mothers and the fathers who were watching it on television? What a horrible experience that must have been.”