News
Press Release
Friday 21 September 2012
TaintedBlood and Manor House Group yesterday issued a joint reaction to last week’s parliamentary statement by the Prime Minister about the findings of a review into the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy in which 96 Liverpool fans were killed.:
We are thrilled that the truth has finally been uncovered and acknowledged in full. Families and friends of those tragically killed have been fully vindicated in their pursuit of the truth. We hope justice will now swiftly follow.
The unreserved apology given to the nation as well as those affected was momentous. Mr. Cameron’s admission that the state failed to protect life and then compounded those failings by not attempting to uncover the truth in full is a story with which those affected by contaminated blood treatments are familiar and we applaud such an honest admission by government. We urge him to provide a similarly comprehensive response in other, older, outstanding but equally troubling disasters.
Joseph Peaty, a TaintedBlood campaigner substantially injured as a result of NHS contaminated blood products use, described how he felt:
“As I listened to the Prime Minister delivering his statement to parliament on the findings of a review in to the Hillsborough tragedy, an icy shiver went through me. Initially I was simply heartened that the government could act with compassion and humility when they choose to.
After all, the Hillsborough tragedy and resultant fight for the truth have been highly visible and have gained substantial empathy from the public and it felt great to see them achieve this victory after so long.
But as I listened to the description of the reasons for the loss of life, admission of the state's failure to protect life and unwillingness to openly seek out the truth and promote accountability, I became acutely aware of the way the facts mimicked what had happened to me and the 5,000+ others infected, injured and killed by NHS contaminated blood treatments in the 1970's & 1980’s.
Unlike Hillsborough, our disaster has never been granted a transparent, public, government initiated inquiry into the truth; in fact there has never been any co-operation from them in this area and they have never sought to apply any accountability.
On the contrary the widespread destruction of evidence and lack of effort to preserve the truth is indicative of the type of authoritative, self-preserving attitude evident throughout the 1970's & 1980’s by certain agents of the State.
Mr. Cameron described the events as wrong and said that it should never take 23 years to establish the truth where the public believes an injustice has occurred. Surely if this is right then how much more true must it be in the case of contaminated blood and blood products – a scandal that is now 30 years old!”
TaintedBlood and Manor House Group wholeheartedly agree with these sentiments.
To learn more about the striking similarities of the States role in these disasters please take time to review our briefing note that looks at the failings in greater detail.
For an interview, please contact Sue Threakall on 07540 092620.
Please click this link to read the press briefing document:
Article submitted by Sue Threakall