Hillsborough review criticises lack of empathy for bereaved

A review of how bereaved families were treated by the authorities after their relatives died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster has recommended an overhaul in postmortem processes and communication, and the need for "empathy and understanding".

- David Conn

The review, led by Glenn Taylor, a retired forensic scientist, heard harrowing accounts from family members of those who died about their experiences, including being told by police officers that they could not hug their loved ones because their bodies were "the property of the coroner".

Several of the Hillsborough families told Taylor they were never informed that a postmortem was to be carried out on their relatives, and had suffered enduring trauma from the cold and clinical nature of the process.

Margaret Aspinall said her son, James, who was 18, had always said he never wanted to be the subject of a postmortem, having watched the TV show Quincy. "The fact that this happened has lived with me for the rest of my life," she said.

Taylor said in his review that while legally it was a coroner's decision whether to hold a postmortem, families should be much better informed and it was "unacceptable" that families had been left unaware of one.