Today
is the twenty fifth anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster when 96
football fans died in circumstances which were preventable.
(from the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/02/hillsborough-inquest-police-accounts-criticism)
(From This Is Anfield: http://www.thisisanfield.com/2012/09/police-ignored-evidence-of-doctor-who-treated-hillsborough-victims/)
It
is also the twenty fifth year of one of the longest running scandals
in the history of British policing, media and politics. The
vindictive response of the authorities is symbolised by the readiness
of the police forces of the day and since to break their oath to tell
the truth and instead to lie and cover up persistently for decade
after decade. It is symbolised in the nastiest campaign ever run by
the Sun newspaper to blacken the names of the victims and their
friends. It is symbolised in the malignant response of the political
authorities of the time.
(Published by Scott Twigg https://twitter.com/ScottTwigg1/status/319552541157384192/photo/1. This letter was sent to Scott's step father by Margaret Thatcher's press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham.)
Twenty
five years later we still seek the truth. The need, two and a half
decades later, still to seek justice for the 96 reveals much that is
wrong about Britain today - so many police officers have forgotten
that their job is to protect the public, not to hound them, so many
journalists have forgotten that their job is to tell the truth, not
to lie, so many politicians have forgotten that their job is to serve
the public, not their own selfish interests.
There
are honourable police officers, there are honourable journalists,
there are honourable politicians. But every name below is a stain on
the reputation of all those professions. And it is not enough, in the
face of such widespread and persistent corruption, to be honourable
oneself. The honourable must not only do their own job, but it is
their responsibility to root out the corrupt who still walk with them
today, and seek to make amends for the evil and neglect that they have tolerated for too long.
But
the honour of the professions is meaningless beside the tragedy that
befell these people, their families and their friends on 15th
April 1989. The youngest was 10, the oldest 67.
John Alfred Anderson
Colin Mark Ashcroft
James Gary Aspinall
Kester Roger Marcus Ball
Gerard Bernard Patrick Baron
Simon Bell
Barry Sidney Bennett
David John Benson
David William Birtle
Tony Bland
Paul David Brady
Andrew Mark Brookes
Carl Brown
David Steven Brown
Henry Thomas Burke
Peter Andrew Burkett
Paul William Carlile
Raymond Thomas Chapman
Gary Christopher Church
Joseph Clark
Paul Clark
Gary Collins
Stephen Paul Copoc
Tracey Elizabeth Cox
James Philip Delaney
Christopher Barry Devonside
Chris Edwards
Vincent Michael Fitzsimmons
Thomas Steven Fox
Jon-Paul Gilhooley
Barry Glover
Ian Thomas Glover
Derrick George Godwin
Roy Harry Hamilton
Philip Hammond
Eric Hankin
Gary Harrison
Stephen Francis Harrison
Peter Andrew Harrison
David Hawley
James Robert Hennessy
Paul Anthony Hewitson
Carl Darren Hewitt
Nicholas Michael Hewitt
Sarah Louise Hicks
Victoria Jane Hicks
Gordon Rodney Horn
Arthur Horrocks
Thomas Howard
Thomas Anthony Howard
Eric George Hughes
Alan Johnston
Christine Anne Jones
Gary Philip Jones
Richard Jones
Nicholas Peter Joynes
Anthony Peter Kelly
Michael David Kelly
Carl David Lewis
David William Mather
Brian Christopher Matthews
Francis Joseph McAllister
John McBrien
Marian Hazel McCabe
Joseph Daniel McCarthy
Peter McDonnell
Alan McGlone
Keith McGrath
Paul Brian Murray
Lee Nicol
Stephen Francis O'Neill
Jonathon Owens
William Roy Pemberton
Carl William Rimmer
Dave George Rimmer
Graham John Roberts
Steven Joseph Robinson
Henry Charles Rogers
Colin Andrew Hugh William Sefton
Inger Shah
Paula Ann Smith
Adam Edward Spearritt
Philip John Steele
David Leonard Thomas
Patrick John Thompson
Peter Reuben Thompson
Stuart Paul William Thompson
Peter Francis Tootle
Christopher James Traynor
Martin Kevin Traynor
Kevin Tyrrell
Colin Wafer
Ian David Whelan
Martin Kenneth Wild
Kevin Daniel Williams
Graham John Wright