Hillsborough - The Truth

This is the definitive, unique account of the disaster in which 96 men, women, and children were killed, hundreds injured, and thousands traumatized. It details the appalling treatment endured by the bereaved and survivors in the immediate aftermath, the inhumanity of the identification process, and the vilification of fans in the national and international media. In 2012, Phil Scraton was primary author of the groundbreaking report published by the Hillsborough Independent Panel following its new research into thousands of documents disclosed by all agencies involved. Against a backdrop of almost three decades of persistent struggle by bereaved families and survivors, in this new edition he reflects on the Panel’s in-depth work, its revelatory findings and their unprecedented impact—an unreserved apology from the Prime Minister; new criminal investigations; the Independent Police Complaints Commission’s largest-ever inquiry; the quashing of 96 inquest verdicts; a review of all health and pathology policies. Paving the way for truth recovery and institutional accountability in other controversial cases, he details the process and considers the impact of the longest ever inquests, from the preliminary hearings to their comprehensive, devastating verdicts. Powerful, disturbing, and harrowing, Hillsborough: The Truth exposes the institutional complacency that led to the unlawful killing of the 96, revealing how the interests of ordinary people are marginalized when those in authority sacrifice truth and accountability to protect their reputations.