TRIBUTES have been paid to Hillsborough justice campaigner Anne Williams who has passed away at the age of 62.
Mrs. Williams’ 15-year-old son Kevin died along with 95 other Liverpool fans who were crushed during an F.A. Cup game at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield on April 15, 1989.
Official explanations regarding the causes of the disaster and an inquest ruling that most of the victims, including Kevin Williams, had been dead by 3.15 p.m. and that their deaths had been accidental, were never accepted by relatives.
The relatives embarked on a long battle for justice which finally delivered a breakthrough in November, 2012, when the publication of The Hillsborough Independent Panel’s report paved the way for a court to finally quash the original inquest verdicts.
Mrs. Williams had battled tirelessly for justice for her son and the other victims. Only weeks after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, she insisted on going to the High Court to hear November’s verdict.
As part of her campaign, Mrs. Williams had tracked down a witness who had held her son as he passed away (see below).
Her final public appearance was on Monday (April 15) when she attended the annual Hillsborough Memorial Service at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.
The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, led tributes to Mrs. Williams. He tweeted: “Terribly sad to hear about Anne Williams. She was an amazing and inspirational person. Her courage in the fight for justice is a lesson to us all.”
To view footage of the meeting between Mrs. Williams and the woman who had held her son on the day of the Hillsborough disaster, click here.
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