Hillsborough victims 'still being treated like public property'

Ninety-seven Liverpool fans died after a crush at Hillsborough stadium on 15 April 1989

A woman whose father died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster has criticised the Home Office for still treating the victims like "public property".

Charlotte Hennessy, whose father James was among the 97 killed in the tragedy, said the decision to review pathology failings without seeking permission from the families was "disrespectful".

The review will look into the reports used at the victims' original inquests.

The Home Office said it will "engage with the families during the process".

Ninety-seven Liverpool fans died as a result of a terrace crush at the FA Cup semi-final at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium on 15 April 1989.

Their families fought a 27-year campaign to overturn the original inquests that were held.

The Home Office previously said the review of the forensic pathology response was aimed at ensuring similar mistakes were not made in the future.

Charlotte Hennessy was just six years old when her father died

But Ms Hennessy said: "The pathology of our loved ones is probably the most sensitive part of their death - it's private and it's personal to my dad. It's nobody else's business.

"Thirty-three years after Hillsborough and our loved ones are still being treated like public property.

"Nobody has got the right to just say, 'Oh we're looking at the pathology of your loved ones' without our permission.

"It's just disrespectful."

'Anxious and puzzled'

When the review was announced in October, the Home Office apologised that the families had not been told in advance.

One month on, there has been little or no contact from ministers or officials.

"It's made me feel anxious and puzzled," Ms Hennessy said.

"Is there something that they know that they're not telling us?

"Has something else come to light, which has made them think 'we need to do a review here?'

"There's so many questions, we've just been blindsided."

Hillsborough Survivors' Support group chairman Peter Scarfe added: "It's extremely disrespectful that there hasn't been more contact with the families.

"They clearly haven't learnt the lessons of Hillsborough."

The review will look at how mistakes can be avoided in future

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in a letter to Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, which has been seen by the BBC, that she understood the families' concerns.

"However it may be helpful to clarify that the purpose of the independent review is largely to identify any necessary learning from the original medical evidence to ensure that similar issues will not be repeated in future."

Ms Braverman said she would be "writing to the families in due course regarding plans for engaging with them".

But Ms Cooper told BBC Radio Merseyside that the government just "doesn't get it".

She added: "I think the real problem is that the Home Secretary still has not contacted the families.

"That's just not fair, it's failing to show the kind of respect that really was at the heart of the problem in the first place."

A Home Office representative said the legacy of the Hillsborough disaster continued "to deeply impact us all, and the families of the 97 people who lost their lives have shown vast strength and courage".

"We apologise to the families that they were not told in advance about the announcement of this review," they said.

"This review is one of the recommendations of the Bishop James Jones report.

"We are committed to responding to the bishop's report as soon as practicable, and will engage with the families during the process."