The Grenfell Tower disaster, which claimed 72 lives in 2017, has been attributed to “decades of failure”, with blame apportioned across a wide range of organisations in the UK, along with central government.
The seven-year public inquiry, led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, throws light on the failings of a number of companies for providing cladding and insulation that failed to meet fire safety standards, which played a pivotal role in the rapid spread of the fire.
The UK government has been heavily criticised for its failure to regulate the use of combustible cladding and the “systematic dishonesty” of major corporations whose products exacerbated the fire. The final, 1700 page report broadly assigns blame across multiple entities involved in the tower’s refurbishment and maintenance. Among them, architectural firms, construction companies, and building control departments.
Detectives from the Met Police’s criminal investigation team have stated that they will spend the next 12 to 18 months reviewing the inquiry’s findings before deciding on potential charges. These could range from corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter to fraud, perverting the course of justice, and misconduct in public office.
The Crown Prosecution Service has not yet made any decisions regarding charges, and any resulting trials are unlikely to commence before 2027.
The families of the 72 people who died in the Grenfell tower fire met Sir Martin Moore-Bick the day before the final report was published (Tuesday 3 September). Here, one of the survivors Marcio Gomes, who lost his child in the tragedy, speaks of his ongoing pain and the need for justice.
Marcio Gomes, speaking to ITV News, shared how his unborn son died, despite his family’s desperate efforts to escape the flames.
The family lived on the 21st floor of the tower, and like many others was told to stay put when the fire erupted. When no help came, Marcio, his pregnant wife, and their two daughters fled for their lives. His wife ended up in a coma and their son was stillborn.
Read more:
What progress has been made since the Grenfell fire tragedy?
Seven years on from the Grenfell fire
ITN Business’ FIRE SAFETY programme – COMING SOON
Our programme, launching this autumn, will share reporter-led case study stories filmed on location, and feature contributions from industry thought leaders the Fire Industry Association (FIA), the Fire Protection Association (FPA) and the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE).
