Manchester Arena investigation: terrorist attack investigation opens

The public inquiry into the Manchester Arena terror attack begins later.

The hearing comes more than three years after Salman Abedi detonated a bomb as people were leaving a concert on May 22, 2017, killing himself and 22 others.

It was scheduled to start in June but was delayed by the trial of Abedi’s brother Hashem, who was imprisoned for at least 55 years for 22 murders on August 20.

The investigation is taking place at Manchester Magistrates Court, less than a mile from where the attack occurred.

The Manchester Arena investigation was established on October 22, 2019 by Home Secretary Priti Patel with the aim of investigating the deaths of the victims.

Patel said it was “vital that those who survived or lost loved ones … get the answers they need and that we learn the lessons, whatever they are.”

It will be much broader in scope than Lord Kerslake’s review of “emergency preparedness and response” to the attack, which in March 2018 concluded that there were some flaws in the response.

What is the Manchester Arena Consultation?

The investigation, to be chaired by coroner Sir John Saunders, “will explore the circumstances that led to and surrounded the terrorist attack,” according to its website.

It will analyze whether the attack could have been prevented, what happened on May 22, 2017, the security arrangements around the arena, the emergency response to the bombing and the radicalization of Salman Abedi.

The investigation will also hear how each of the individual victims died and hear personal evidence about them from their families.

Speaking in October, Ms Patel said that she established the investigation after carefully considering the advice of Sir John, who concluded that due to legal restrictions, a “full, fair and fearless investigation” could not “be achieved through inquiries. and it must be done by establishing a statutory public inquiry. “

It will take place in two courtrooms of the Manchester Magistrates Court, most of which will be filled with legal teams and ‘key players’, defined as’ persons, organizations or entities with a significant interest in an important aspect of the cases to which the investigation relates “.

The social distancing guidelines mean that another two courtrooms will be available to members of the public, most of whom will be families of the victims, and a small number of journalists for their use. More centers will be established in nearby buildings.

Why is it carried out?

The investigation’s website said the focus would be first on determining “exactly what happened” and then determining “what must be done to prevent it from happening again.”

Public investigations cannot determine criminal or civil responsibility, but they have the ability to highlight where failures have occurred.

Following the attack, the police carried out a criminal investigation, culminating in Hashem Abedi’s conviction earlier this year and imprisoned last month, while the coroner opened inquiries into the deaths.

However, following a decision by Sir John that MI5 and police evidence should be kept secret for national security reasons, he called for a public inquiry that would allow such testimonies to be heard in closed sessions.

Who will bear witness?

The investigation, which is expected to last about four months, will hear testimony from a wide variety of witnesses, including some who were in the arena the night of the attack and some who assisted in the emergency response.

You will also hear, in these closed-door sessions, the security services about what was known about Salman Abedi and what steps were taken in relation to him.

Those presenting evidence will be questioned by legal representatives for the investigation and by those with the status of “principal participant”, which includes emergency services, the Home Office, the families of the victims, the owners of the arena and Kyle Lawler , an arena manager that Sir John previously said “may have played a significant role or may be the subject of explicit or significant criticism”.

Why has it been controversial?

More than 900 people were injured in the blast, and a group of those survivors filed a legal challenge to be granted “lead participant” status.

In April Sir John ruled that they would not be granted such status and two months later, after an appeal and judicial review, his decision was upheld.

Martin Hibbert, who was the closest victim to surviving, said the group was “perplexed as to the ruling, given what we’ve seen, what we’ve heard and what we’ve been through.”

“We were there and we survived … so we have a lot of information that we think is imperative for a thorough investigation,” he said.

At the time, the investigation attorney, Paul Greaney QC, said that many survivors would testify at the hearing and that they were encouraged to raise any issues with the investigation team.

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