Police Agree to Correct Court Record on Hillsborough Victims' Suffering
A police force has consented to demands from the parents of two teenagers who died in the Hillsborough disaster to amend the official court record that inaccurately stated they did not suffer before their deaths.
Jenni and Trevor Hicks sought to sue South Yorkshire Police (SYP) in 1991 following the deaths of their daughters Sarah, 19, and Victoria, 15, in the 1989 tragedy, but their case was unsuccessful due to flawed medical evidence presented at the time.
Following considerable public pressure, Chief Constable Lauren Poultney has directed the force’s legal team to issue a Statement in Open Court (SOAC) to rectify the record.
The Hicks family stated that Poultney made this commitment during a private meeting. SYP has been approached for comment.
"We welcome what we have been told today, and we are pleased that South Yorkshire Police appears to recognise that this needs to be put right.
But after everything families have been through over the past 36 years, we will wait to see it happen in open court before celebrating."
The records under scrutiny originate from a legal ruling in favour of SYP, which was based on a false premise accepted by the courts and later the House of Lords, then the highest court in the UK, known as the "30 second rule." Judges and law lords at the time accepted that all victims caught in the terrace crush lost consciousness within 30 seconds and therefore did not experience suffering.
However, this conclusion was definitively disproven, initially by the Hillsborough Independent Panel report in 2012 and subsequently by a second set of inquests concluded in 2016.
The reality was that many victims, including Victoria and Sarah, endured suffering for over an hour, with witnesses describing Sarah being observed in "extreme distress" regarding the fate of her younger sister.
Campaign for Legal Correction and Support from Political Figures
Jenni and Trevor Hicks launched their campaign earlier this month, urging the courts, judiciary, and parliament to consider how inaccurate official court records could be amended.
Their position has received backing from political figures such as former Prime Minister Baroness Theresa May and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
SYP faced significant criticism after the Hicks revealed that the force’s lawyers had declined to agree to a new court hearing in which a SOAC could be formally entered into the official record.
Trevor Hicks previously described SYP’s stance as "absurd" and one that "doesn't stand up to any reasonable examination."
Following the meeting with Poultney, he commented:
"Today felt like a hugely important step forward.
We have waited a very long time to hear these words from the leadership of South Yorkshire Police. What matters now is that the promise made today is followed through."
Legal Representation and Future Legislative Efforts
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, lead counsel for Jenni and Trevor Hicks, stated:
"We will meet with SYP's legal team at the earliest opportunity and ensure that the record is corrected as soon as is humanly possible.
This is not just about Sarah and Vicki, it will help bring comfort we hope to all those families who lost loved ones in the Hillsborough Disaster.
But we continue our fight for a Hicks' Rule which will help anyone in similar circumstances in future and we welcome the Chief Constable's support on that."
Nia Williams, partner at Saunders Law and acting for the Hicks, added:
"Jenni Hicks and Trevor Hicks were today able to look the chief constable in the eye and explain why this legal correction is so important."
She noted that Poultney had informed Jenni and Trevor that the force would support any legislative changes to introduce a so-called Hicks' Rule, which would facilitate easier amendments to inaccurate court records in the future.
The BBC has contacted South Yorkshire Police for comment.
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