Grenfell United: "unbearable" wait for justice
Prosecutors have said it'll be late 2026 until there's a decision on any criminal charges over the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017
Bereaved families and survivors face waiting until the end of 2026 for a decision on potential criminal charges over the Grenfell Tower fire, nearly 10 years after the deadly blaze.
The Metropolitan Police said their investigators need until the end of 2025 to finalise their inquiry, and prosecutors will then need a year to decide whether charges can be brought.
"we live our lives on hold while those responsible walk free"
Grenfell United, the bereaved families and survivor group, said the wait, which could stretch to a decade after the catastrophic 2017 fire that killed 72 people, was "unbearable".
A spokesman said: "Ten years until we see justice. Ten years until we see prosecutions.
"This should be shocking for everyone, but for us, we live our lives on hold while those responsible walk free.
"We need to see the people who perpetrated Grenfell held to account and charged for their crimes. The wait is unbearable."
The report from the second stage of the public inquiry into the fire is due to be published later this year.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy told journalists on Wednesday that investigators will need another year to 18 months after the publication to finalise their inquiry.
Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Garry Moncrieff said investigators will need to go through the report line by line to assess the impact on their probe.
Rosemary Ainslie, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said prosecutors will need until the end of 2026 to make final decisions about any criminal charges.
The mammoth police investigation into the fire has already generated 27,000 lines of inquiry and more than 12,000 witness statements.
Potential criminal charges
A total of 19 companies and organisations are under investigation for potential criminal offences, and 58 individuals, and more than 300 hours of interviews have taken place.
Potential offences under consideration include corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office, health and safety offences, fraud, and offences under the fire safety and building regulations.
So far eight out of 20 files have been sent to the CPS for early investigative advice that would be passed back to police, with a typical case file more than 500 pages long with 17,000 pages of evidence.
The current timeline would mean it would be nearly 10 years before anyone could appear in court over the Grenfell Tower blaze.
Up to the end of March this year, the Met has spent £107.3 million on the inquiry, and there are 180 investigators currently working on the case.
**"Justice delayed is justice denied"**
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "I understand and share the deep frustration of the bereaved, survivors, the local community and all those affected seeking justice following the appalling Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.
"The Met have today set out their ongoing work to hold those responsible to account and will leave no stone unturned in their investigation.
"This sadly still means that those impacted could be waiting up to a decade after the fatal fire to see those responsible brought to account.
"Justice delayed is justice denied. It's vital that investigators and the Crown Prosecution Service are given the resources they need for this unique investigation to progress as swiftly as possible."