03/12/2025
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram today said the IOPC report into police conduct surrounding the Hillsborough disaster was 'too little, too late'.
Here's the Mayor's statement in full: 'Today could – and should – have been a watershed moment for the 97 and their families. A moment when, finally, some of those responsible were confronted with the truth they’ve spent decades avoiding.
'Instead, it feels like another missed opportunity. After a 13-year investigation, the IOPC’s report is too little, too late. It tells us nothing the Hillsborough families haven’t carried with them for years: that their loved ones were catastrophically failed – and then vilified in a disgraceful cover-up.
'The truth remains: 97 innocent people – British citizens – were unlawfully killed. Yet no individual or institution has ever been held accountable through our justice system.
'There’s been no collective responsibility for the catastrophic failures that led to the disaster. No reckoning for the officers who shirked their duties and led a campaign to blame Liverpool supporters. And no closure for the families who’ve fought with dignity, strength and courage. Justice remains agonisingly out of reach.
'The legacy of the 97 must now be justice in law. The Hillsborough Law – currently progressing through Parliament – would help ensure that no other bereaved families are ever forced to endure such a prolonged, unconscionable ordeal.'
