Jury Finds 96 Fans 'Unlawfully Killed' In 1989 Hillsborough Stadium Disaster

The NZ Herald is reporting a jury has found that 96 soccer fans were "unlawfully killed" in the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium disaster because of mistakes by the police.

The verdicts mark the conclusion of inquests that lasted more than two years into Britain's worst sporting disaster.

The original verdicts of accidental death were overturned in 2012, and a new inquest was ordered after years of campaigning by the victims' families.

The jury, which had been considering 14 questions set out by the coroner, concluded that fans did not contribute to the disaster.

The jury also found that police planning errors "caused or contributed" to the situation that led to the crush at the April 1989 FA Cup semifinal match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the stadium in Sheffield.

NZ Herald