Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Hillsborough Inquest: (2); Moving Mirror story gets to the heart of what the inquest is all about: Getting the right words on a death certificate. An insightful, moving story by Brian Reade. The Mirror. (Must Read. HL);


STORY: "Hillsborough inquest brings back the horror for 150 family members desperate for justice," by reporter Brian Reade, published by the Mirror on March 31, 2014.

GIST: "After what seemed like an excruciating eternity the families finally walked back into a coroner’s court with hope in their hearts. It had been 23 years and three days since they left Sheffield Town Hall, engulfed in grief and anger at the accidental death verdicts on their loved ones. With those verdicts quashed, they got another chance to hope that words they agree with are finally written on the death certificates of the 96 victims of Hillsborough ......... Many couldn’t help thinking back to the harrowing conclusion of the initial inquests in Sheffield Town Hall’s Victorian oak-lined council chamber on March 28th 1991.When, after sitting through more than 600 hours of evidence, the jury returned verdicts of accidental death on the then 95 victims (Tony Bland who was in a persistent vegetative state at the time became the 96th victim in 1993 when his life-support system was switched off). It was a heartbreaking scene everyone present will take to their graves. After Coroner Dr Stefan Popper read every name the jury foreman responded with the words “accidental death.” But when the Hillsborough Independent Panel concluded in December 2012 that as many as 41 of the victims might still have been alive after 3.15pm and may have survived if they had received adequate emergency care, those verdicts had to be quashed and new ones ordered.........What all those families are desperately seeking is a form of closure for something that has consumed their lives for far too long. The notion that when you bring a child onto this earth the state demands that the right words are written on their birth certificates. When they leave it, the least they deserve is the right words on their death certificates. Sometime next year they may finally see them. "

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hillsborough-inquest-brings-back-horror-3320002

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: 
 
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
 
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
 
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
 
I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com.

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;