Six People Charged with Criminal Offences After Hillsborough Disaster in 1989

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed on Wednesday that six people have been charged with criminal offences for their part in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster that resulted in the death of 96 Liverpool supporters.

News of the charges from the courts in Warrington came via David Conn of the Guardian, with Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield and Sir Norman Bettison among those named:

Conn added that Duckenfield has been charged with 95 counts of manslaughter, while Bettison has been charged with four counts of misconduct while in office.

Sue Hemming, the CPS Head of Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, confirmed how it was determined six people would be charged, per Radio City News:

Per BBC's Judith Moritz, there are only 95 manslaughter charges detailed against Duckenfield because Hillsborough's 96th victim, Tony Bland, died four years later:

As reported by Conn, the charges against Bettison relate to "alleged lies about involvement in Hillsborough aftermath and fans' culpability." The CPS added "we will ask jury to find this was misconduct of such a degree as to [be] an abuse of public's trust."

This post from the CPS Twitter account detailed the six who had been charged and their roles at the time of the disaster in 1989:

In April 2016, a jury concluded that the 96 supporters died as a result of unlawful killing at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989 during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. 

In 1991, Doctor Stefan Popper, who was the coroner overseeing the initial inquest, had ruled the deaths to be accidental.

Barry Devonside, whose son Christopher died at Hillsborough aged 18, addressed the media outside the court on Wednesday after the charges were confirmed, per Tom Belger of the Liverpool Echo:

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the court date for five of the defendants has been set for August 9, 2017. Duckenfield is the only person charged who will not be at Warrington Magistrates Court on that day.