Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire criticised the lack of progress for victims on the seventh anniversary of the disaster today.
They are furious at the wait for people to be held accountable for the high-rise blaze which killed 72 on June 14, 2017. The anniversary was marked with a silent walk last night after the granddaughters of victim Tony Disson, 65, released a dove.
An inquiry into the inferno ended five years ago but a final report is not expected until autumn. Survivor Edward Daffarn, 62, fears more lives will be lost without quick action.
He said: “So little has been achieved in these seven years in terms of truth, justice and change. We’re using this anniversary as an opportunity to highlight how little has changed.”
Mr Daffarn works with Grenfell United, which is made up of survivors and families of victims of the blaze in West London. He hit out during a meeting with representatives from the infected blood scandal and Covid pandemic. They are joining forces to call for an independent body to ensure recommendations from inquiries and inquests are acted on.
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Grandchildren of a man who died in the fire visited the Memorial Wall on Friday (Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)Public inquiries and inquests are mandatory but the government is not obliged to act on the findings. Mr Daffarn said: “There was a fire at Lakenal House [in Camberwell] in 2009 that killed six people, after which the coroner’s report made recommendations about the danger of fire spread.
“The government was fully aware of those recommendations but chose not to act on them. And then in 2017, we had a fire that killed 72 people.”
People take part in a silent walk near Grenfell Tower in London (PA)Lobby Akinnola lost his dad Femi, 60, to Covid in April 2020. Speaking on behalf of COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, he said: “We are honoured to stand shoulder to shoulder with Grenfell survivors.
“We have come together as victims of the state to call for a National Oversight Mechanism, which will help make sure that recommendations turn into action and action turns into change.”
The community marked the anniversary of the tragedy on Friday (Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)Families of victims of the Grenfell Tower fire face a prolonged wait for justice as Scotland Yard’s probe is not set to result in potential charges until almost a decade after the tragedy. The investigation into the blaze has so far established 27,000 lines of enquiry, with more than 152 million files retrieved. The Metropolitan Police’s probe has involved 180 investigators looking into the blaze, with over 12,000 witness statements taken.
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