6 individuals charged in connection to Hillsborough disaster

Former Ch Supt David Duckenfield faces 95 charges of manslaughter and five other senior figures will be prosecuted over the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Sir Norman Bettison, Graham Mackrell, Peter Metcalf, Alan Foster and Donald Denton also face charges.

The Hillsborough disaster happened at Hillsborough football stadium in Sheffield, on 15 April 1989, during the 88–89 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The resulting 96 fatalities and 766 injuries makes this the worst disaster in British sporting history.

The incident occurred in the two standing-only central pens in the Leppings Lane stand, allocated to Liverpool supporters. Shortly before kick-off, in an attempt to ease overcrowding outside the entrance turnstiles, the police match commander, chief superintendent David Duckenfield, ordered exit gate C to be opened, leading to an influx of even more supporters to the already overcrowded central pens.

In the days and weeks following the disaster, police fed false stories to the press suggesting that hooliganism and drinking by Liverpool supporters were the root causes of the disaster. Blaming of Liverpool fans persisted even after the Taylor Report of 1990, which found that the main cause of the disaster was a failure of control by South Yorkshire Police. Following the Taylor report, the DPP ruled there was no evidence to justify prosecution of individuals or institutions. The disaster also led to a number of safety improvements in the largest English football grounds, notably the elimination of fenced standing terraces in favour of all-seater stadiums in the top two tiers of English football.

You can read the statement released by CPS (Crown Prosecution Services) here:
http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/latest_news/hillsborough-charging-decisions/index.html