Original Stardust disaster inquest 'abject failure'

Phil Scraton, Professor Emeritus at Queens University Belfast, who authored a damning new report into the coronial process in Ireland, said the original Stardust inquest was an 'abject failure'.

The original inquest into the Stardust disaster in 1981 was an “abject failure” and the initial judicial report was appalling, the man who uncovered the truth about the Hillsborough football tragedy has said.

Phil Scraton, professor emeritus at Queens University Belfast, who authored a damning new report into the coronial process in Ireland, said major failings contained in the initial investigations were “completely unacceptable”.

Speaking at the launch of the report, written for the Irish Council For Civil Liberties, Prof Scraton said it was welcome that those injustices were now recognised and is hopeful for the new inquest process into the disaster which killed 48 young people and injured 214.

“Particularly, the assumption that the fire in Stardust had been started deliberately by an unknown person and to have that presumption playing in a major report was completely unacceptable,” he said.

Prof Scraton, who has been involved in helping the families of the Stardust victims, said the new inquests only came about because the families have spent all this time campaigning to have an appropriate investigation via an inquest.

Strong criticisms

Notwithstanding the strong criticisms of the coronial system in Ireland contained in his report, he said he has “every faith” that this time the inquest will deliver.

“The reason I have that faith is because I know that the families are going to be well represented. I also know that there will be full disclosure, and that that full disclosure will enable the inquest to do its job. I have faith in the coroner,” he said.

“I think all that has been stated by the coroner to this point, demonstrates absolutely clearly that there is an intention to get to the bottom of Stardust, as is appropriate in the Coroner's Court and I'm convinced that will happen,” he added.

This would not have happened had it not been for the families. “It's so important that now the legal team and those of us with an involvement with the legal team can do the job, that the coroner can do her job. And I think that that is excellent,” Prof Scraton said.

He said the fact it took Attorney General to make that ruling to hold a new inquest after all these years, demonstrates the problems we face in the system when it goes wrong.

“So it was inadequacy investigation in the first place. The inquests were appalling, in terms of a four-day hearing. And the report when it came out, however long it was, however much evidence it took, and it was substantial, came to a conclusion that was completely unacceptable, both to the general public but also to the families,” Prof Scraton said.