Manchester Arena families hope for ‘real changes’

The inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing has heard its final submissions after 196 days of evidence, with the families of some of those killed saying that they hope ‘real changes’ will be made to stop future terror attacks.

On 22 May 2017, 22 people died when attacker Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

Kim Harrison, a lawyer from Slater + Gordon who represents the families of 12 of the 22 victims, praised the bereaved for their ‘dignity, patience and great strength’, but also stated that ‘learning how badly their loved ones were failed by all those organisations has greatly exacerbated their grief and suffering’.

She said: “The families we represent desperately want something positive to come from this inquiry and for real changes to be made to keep members of the public safer from acts of terrorism in the future.”

The inquiry is aiming to publish its second report, which examines the actions of the emergency services, before the parliamentary summer recess, in July. The first report, published last year, found that Abedi should have been identified as a security threat on the night of the attack.

Harrison added: “On behalf of those we represent, we urge the inquiry to be equally clear-sighted and brave in its chapter 2 and 3 reports dealing with the actions of the emergency services and the security services, to ensure that real change is effected and this country becomes a safer place out of this dreadful act of terror.”