POLICE IN LONDON investigating the Grenfell Tower fire last month have told residents there may be grounds to bring corporate manslaughter charges against the local council.
Detectives investigating the fire have written to survivors and families of the blaze to update them on the progress of the investigation into the disaster, which took the lives of at least 80 people.
The Guardian reports that the letter indicates that charges may be brought against the council.
After an initial assessment of that information, the officer leading the investigation has today notified Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that each organisation may have committed the offence of corporate manslaughter, under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.
“In due course, a senior representative of each corporation will be formally interviewed by police in relation to the potential offence.”
The leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, councillor Elizabeth Campbell said:
“Our residents deserve answers about the Grenfell Tower fire and the police investigation will provide these. We fully support the Metropolitan Police investigation and we will cooperate in every way we can.
“It would not be appropriate to comment further on matters subject to the police investigation.”
At least 80 people were killed when the high-rise went up in flames at an incredible speed, with the ferocity of the blaze prompting investigators to admit some victims may never be found.
With the recovery operation expected to take months, there has been anger within the local community at the official handling of the fire.
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