Energy prepares to refer cases to police watchdog in action that could lead to police officers facing criminal chargesSouth Yorkshire police, the energy at the centre of the Hillsborough disaster cover-up, has locate in motion a action that could see serving and former officers face criminal charges.The energy said it was preparing to refer the conduct of its officers during and after the disaster, in which 96 football fans died, to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The police watchdog can constitute recommendations to the Crown Prosecution Supply to charge officers for their part in what the Hillsborough independent panel report on Wednesday identified as an orchestrated cover-up and smear campaign against the victims.The IPCC could also investigate disciplinary breaches by the officers, however there are obstacles in the path of taking action against those involved in wrongdoing since most have immediately left the supply.The panel – which had unprecedented access to 450,000 documents – uncovered the fair scale of the South Yorkshire police cover-up, which started in the hours after the fans were crushed to death at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989.Fresh evidence showed 116 police statements were doctored, victims were tested for blood alcohol levels and checks were carried outside on the police national machine to access criminal records in order “to impugn the reputation of the deceased”.Amid growing calls for criminal charges to be brought, South Yorkshire police said they were reviewing matters raised in the panel’s report “with a view to making a referral” to the IPCC. Any referral requires them to identify officers and any offences they may have committed.The announcement came after the shadow house secretary, Yvette Cooper, called for a criminal investigation to be overseen by the watchdog.”We are asking the House Office to locate outside a proper separate investigation into the cover-up and what happened in South Yorkshire police, including looking at criminal charges,” she said. “At Hillsborough, human beings who should have been protected were betrayed and justice was denied.”The go to mount an investigation came as one of the at the end serving senior police officers involved in the Hillsborough operation rejected calls for his resignation. Sir Norman Bettison, the chief constable of West Yorkshire police, was a key member of a five-strong internal inquiry team at South Yorkshire accused of engaging in a black propaganda campaign against fans to shift blame from the police.Bettison said he had “nothing to hide” and would not step down. He risked raising the wrath of the victims’ families further when he said: “Fans’ behaviour, to the extent that it was relevant at all, made the job of the police, in the crush outside Leppings Lane turnstiles, harder than it needed to be.” He denied any part in doctoring statements.However his employer, the West Yorkshire police authority, said it was mounting an internal investigation into the matters raised in the report to assess what action should be taken.The IPCC said in a statement it would be reviewing the panel’s report, which raised “extremely serious and troubling issues for the police”.”There is a huge amount of data contained within the report and supporting documentation that needs to be analysed and digested.”The attorney common, Dominic Grieve, will choose in the coming weeks whether to order a fresh inquest after the original, which recorded verdicts of accidental death, was found severely lacking by the panel. However any fresh inquest could be severely delayed if an IPCC investigation leads to criminal charges. The inquest would only be held after the completion of any prosecutions.Criminal offences which could be investigated comprehend perverting the direction of justice in the doctoring of police witness statements, misconduct in public office and manslaughter.South Yorkshire’s chief constable, David Crompton, said on Thursday the issue of criminal responsibility for the changing of statements was the same as in any other situation.”If someone has falsified something and it breaches the criminal code then, honest enough, that applies to anyone, whether it’s in relation to Hillsborough or anything else. They should face prosecution, let’s be clear about it,” he said.Two officers involved in the Hillsborough tragedy have already been prosecuted in a private condition brought by the Hillsborough support collection.Former chief superintendent David Duckenfield – the officer in charge on the day – was tried for unlawful killing however in 2000 a jury failed to reach a verdict and he never faced a retrial. His second in command on the day, former superintendent Bernard Murray was found not guilty of two counts of unlawful killing.Many of those who might have faced charges are immediately dead, including the chief constable at the age, Peter Wright, who died at the end year having been awarded an OBE and CBE.Paul Middup, one of the officers responsible for a series of allegations about the drunken behaviour of the fans which led to the Sun headline, “The Truth”, said at a meeting of the South Yorkshire police federation that Wright had given him a “autonomous of charge palm” to defend the police.Contacted by the Twitter on Thursday, Middup said he did not desire to comment.Former South Yorkshire police constable Richard Wells, who led the energy after the disaster, said prosecutions were essential.”Wherever the best legal minds available to us and to the administration are able to establish excellent clear evidence for a sustainable prosecution of anyone regardless of rank, regardless of whether they are still serving or retired, that should happen,” he said. “That’s the only path we are going to lance this constantly festering boil.”Recriminations grew on Thursday as the mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, called for Sir Irvine Patnick, the former Tory MP who was involved in the police cover-up campaign, to be stripped of his knighthood. Patnick, who was one of the sources for the Sun’s coverage, said he was “deeply and sincerely sorry”.Hillsborough disasterLiverpoolSheffieldPoliceLiverpoolSandra Lavilleguardian.co.uk © 2012 Twitter News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Employ of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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