IOPC Report: 12 Officers Evade Hillsborough Misconduct Charges

A new investigation into Britain's worst sports disaster has concluded that 12 police officers would have faced gross misconduct proceedings for failures during the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy and efforts to shift blame afterward, though none will due to a legal loophole allowing retirement to end scrutiny.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct released its 363-page report on Tuesday, upholding or finding cases to answer in 92 complaints about actions by South Yorkshire Police officers. The disaster occurred on April 15, 1989, at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield during an FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Ninety-seven Liverpool supporters died in a crush in the standing-only central pens of the Leppings Lane terrace, where fans were compressed against barriers and fencing, leading to suffocation and trampling. The stadium, with a capacity of 54,000, was nearly full when overcrowding escalated.

The report detailed fundamental police shortcomings that contributed to the catastrophe. Planning for the match was inadequate, with Liverpool fans allocated just seven turnstiles for 10,100 standing tickets, compared to 42 for Nottingham Forest supporters. This...