Police will 'work with Hillsborough family' to correct record

11 hours ago

Jonny Humphriesand

Daniel Wittenberg,North West

News image — Victoria Hicks, 15, and her 19-year-old sister Sarah suffered for more than an hour before they died

Handout Victoria Hicks, who has brown wavy hair looks into the camera next to her sister Sarah, who has blonde shoulder length hair and is wearing large hoop earings. — Victoria Hicks, 15, and her 19-year-old sister Sarah suffered for more than an hour before they died

A police force has said it will consider a request from the parents of two Hillsborough victims to amend court records that wrongly state their children did not suffer before they died.

South Yorkshire Police (SYP) had been criticised for its apparent refusal to agree to a fresh court hearing, where an accurate statement could be read into the record.

Trevor and Jenni Hicks, whose daughters Victoria, 15, and Sarah, 19, were killed in the 1989 terrace crush, launched a campaign this week supported by politicians and senior lawyers.

SYP has now clarified that while it had questions about how the process could work, it was looking to work with the family's legal team.

The records stem from a 1991 civil case brought against SYP in 1991 on behalf of some of the 97 victims of the tragedy for the pain and suffering they endured before they died.

Sarah and Victoria Hicks became test cases, but their claim failed after the courts adopted what became known as the "30-second rule" - which wrongly stated the victims had all lost consciousness within 30 seconds of being caught in the crush.

Tim Reid Media Jenni Hicks, who has blonde hair and is wearing a dark suit jacket over a white top, and Trevor Hicks, who has white hair and is wearing a grey suit and white shirt under a dark greenish brown overcoat, sit on a low wall in front of a patch of green grass and speak to a journalist who is behind the camera — Jenni and Trevor Hicks have called on South Yorkshire Police to show "actions not words"

That was proven to be categorically wrong in both the landmark Hillsborough Independent Panel (HIP) report in 2012 and a second set of inquests which ended in 2016.

The Hicks family launched their campaign, calling on the justice system and Parliament to consider how inaccurate court records could be amended, in a committee room at the House of Lords on Monday.

While SYP apologised "unreservedly" for its position on the case in the early 1990s, and said it would not have been contested today, it had made no mention of agreeing to a new hearing.

Trevor Hicks told the BBC that the police had adopted an "absurd position that doesn't stand up to any reasonable examination".

He said: "We've had tea and sympathy for nearly 40 years, but it's very simple for [SYP chief constable Lauren Poultney] to take her own portrayed position and convert it into action, do a very simple thing."

In a statement on Wednesday, Poultney said she understood why the force had been questioned about why it had not yet consented to a Statement in Open Court (SIOC).

Handout A composite image of Sarah Hicks, who has blonde, shoulder-length hair and is wearing a black shirt, and Victoria Hicks who has brown wavy hair and a white shirt. — Sarah Hicks (left) was seen by witnesses in extreme distress about the fate of her younger sister Victoria (right)

She said: "To my knowledge, there is no legislation enabling the use of a SIOC in this type of matter, and a SIOC would not overturn the House of Lords' judgement, or amend the records."

However Poultney said the force was committed to doing "everything in our power" to support the Hillsborough families.

"Furthermore, in keeping with this promise, the force has made contact with Mr and Mrs Hicks' legal representatives to try to understand how they envision a SIOC could be used to correct the records held by the House of Lords.

"I truly hope that a viable route will be found, and give my assurances that I support their campaign to correct the records."

Solicitor Nia Williams, of Saunders Law, who is representing the Hicks family, said it was "interesting" that the force appeared to have changed its position since the event on Monday.

"We have had ongoing discussions with SYP since November 2023 and we have already set out the simplest way to correct the record, but that was refused," she said.

"We are confident that there is a simple and swift way forwards.

"It has been done many times previously, and that is through a Statement in Open Court.

"We are very much looking forward to working with South Yorkshire Police and we will prepare a consent order for their consideration, which could be lodged at the High Court at the earliest opportunity."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.