A group representing bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have called for justice after the Metropolitan Police submitted its final investigation file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Grenfell United, formed in the days that followed the fire, said in a statment: “It has taken more than nine years to get here. Nine years, and no one has been held criminally accountable for the deaths of our 72 loved ones.
“Our families have waited long enough. We want those responsible to face justice. If people are found guilty of crimes that cost our loved ones their lives, we want to see them behind bars.
“Only then will people see that there are real consequences for what happened at Grenfell. No family should have to fight this hard, for this long, for justice.”
The Met is seeking charges against 20 companies and organisations, and 54 individuals in connection with the fire at the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block in North Kensington, west London on June 17 2017. The blaze killed 72 people and injured more than 70.
The CPS has said it will make charging decisions before the 10th anniversary of the fire in June 2027.
The offences being considered include corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety offences, fraud and fraud-related offences as well as misconduct in public office.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth of the Met Police said: “This is a milestone moment in the police investigation into this devastating tragedy.”
A team of 220 investigators took part in the nine year investigation into the fire, compiling around 165 million electronic files to search for evidence.
The Met has now launched a Grenfell Tower investigation website to provide public updates on its investigation.
www.met.police.uk/grenfell-tower-investigation.
Featured Image Credit: Luke Justin
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