The Liverpool ECHO reported on Tuesday, citing the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), that 12 police officers on duty during the Hillsborough Disaster, which were responsible for the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans, have been charged with "Fundamental Gross Negligence" by the victims' families.

According to the report, this investigation is the largest in the UK's history to investigate gross police negligence, and the most comprehensive and detailed report documenting such misconduct by British police officers.

Since being exonerated in 2012 and found guilty of unlawful murder of the 97 fans, the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance commissioned lawyers and private investigators to conduct a 13-year investigation into the 12 officers on duty. The now hundreds-of-pages-long report clearly outlines the officers' gross negligence and finds that they indeed conspired to shift all blame onto the Liverpool fans.

The report shows that South Yorkshire Police have received 92 complaints from the victims' families against these 12 officers since the incident.

Among the senior officers facing the most charges, the one who received the most accusations was Peter Wright, the then-South Yorkshire Police Commissioner who had passed away in 2011.

The other two facing the most charges were Walter Jackson, former Assistant Chief Constable of the South Yorkshire Police, and David Duckenfield, former Chief Superintendent, who were responsible for maintaining order at the match that day.

David Duckenfield, who has never admitted wrongdoing since the incident, consistently shifting blame onto the Liverpool fans, and even subsequently receiving retirement benefits, is still considered by the victims' families to be the most criminally responsible.

Although the British Parliament passed a bill in 2017 allowing the victims' families to sue the officers on duty at Hillsborough for the tragedy, these officers have escaped retroactive imprisonment because all of them had already retired or some had died when they were found guilty in 2012.

While the fact that these officers will not be imprisoned is still somewhat disappointing to the victims' families, a spokesperson for the victims' families expressed relief at the outcome of being able to prosecute them for "Fundamental Gross Negligence."

In response to the lawsuit filed by the IOPC and the Hillsborough Survivors' Support Alliance, current South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney said: "Nothing I say today can erase the pain and harm that my current police force has caused over the years to the families of the victims, Liverpool fans, and everyone in that community."

"The families of the victims spent 27 years finally winning this battle to completely exonerate themselves. The second inquest has concluded that these fans were unlawfully murdered, and that the responsibility lies with South Yorkshire Police, the Ambulance Service, and the stadium itself. On behalf of South Yorkshire Police, I would like to once again offer my deepest apologies to all the victims and their families."

About the Hillsborough Disaster

The Hillsborough Disaster was an incident that occurred on April 15, 1989.

On that day, Liverpool played Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's home ground, Hillsborough Stadium, in the FA Cup semi-final.

Due to stadium structural problems and chaotic organization, 5,000 Liverpool fans were unable to enter the stadium after the match had started. Police officers opened the gates without providing proper guidance, causing the 5,000 people to surge towards the same stand at the Leppings Lane. The resulting stampede caused severe injuries and fatalities, with 96 people dying and over 200 injured.

However, due to lies from the on-duty police officers, malicious reporting by The Sun newspaper, and the government's mishandling of the matter, no one has been held accountable for the Hillsborough disaster to date.

On October 17, 2011, the British government announced it would release all confidential documents related to the incident and reopen the investigation.

On September 12, 2012, the investigation results were officially released, the truth of the tragedy was revealed, and the fans were exonerated.

On April 26, 2016, a UK High Court jury ruled that the stampede was caused by negligence on the part of the South Yorkshire Police, whose inadequate organization, management, and control at the scene led to the loss of control of the crowd and the resulting stampede. The 96 fans who died that year were deemed "unlawfully killed."

Among the 96 Liverpool fans who died was the younger cousin of legendary Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. Years later, in an interview, Gerrard stated that he used the thought of his deceased cousin as motivation during every match.

On July 29, 2021, another fan, Andrew Devine, tragically passed away at the age of 55, bringing the death toll from the Hillsborough disaster to 97.

According to his family, after recovering from his serious injuries sustained in the Hillsborough disaster, Devine still regularly went to Anfield with his family to watch the Premier League champions' matches. However, he became a severely disabled person who was completely paralyzed and had to rely on a wheelchair and family care for the rest of his life.