Relatives of Grenfell Tower fire victims have demanded answers over Theresa May's rapid decision to order the public inquiry, which they now fear has delayed the criminal prosecutions of those responsible.
The day after the blaze that killed 72 people on 14 June 2017 – as the fire was yet to be brought under control and people desperately searched for missing loved ones – the former prime minister ordered a full public inquiry to ensure “this terrible tragedy is properly investigated”.
But with the inquiry’s final report published this month, police have said they must now go through its findings “line by line” – meaning charges are not expected to be brought until the end of 2026, with the prospect of trials not commencing until 2029.
Police are said to have told Grenfell survivors they have “never known a public inquiry to be conducted at the same time as a criminal investigation”, and bereaved families now fear the complex “web of blame” heard by the inquiry could make it more difficult to prosecute for manslaughter.
The group Grenfell Next of Kin – which includes the immediate relatives of 34 victims – has now written to Lady May to demand answers over the advice she received before calling the inquiry.
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