Seventy-two people died at Grenfell. Today, 72 months after the inferno, survivors, the bereaved and campaigners say there is still no justice.
But they are also crystal clear that time, delays, prevarication and even wilful obstruction will not break their inexorable quest for justice over the appalling failures at Grenfell, which brought so much horror, grief and shame to Britain on that night six years ago.
“Seventy-two lives we can never get back. How can we ever give up fighting for justice?” said Yvette Williams, who lives in West Kensington and co-founded the Justice4Grenfell group.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were due to join a silent walk on Wednesday to mark the sixth anniversary of the tragedy, with those taking part encouraged to wear green to show that they “stand united” in the campaign to hold people accountable for the Grenfell failings.
“Today’s anniversary feels significant, it marks 72 months since the fire. Seventy-two months ago, 72 people died, a month for every life lost,” said Natasha Elcock — survivor, bereaved and chair of Grenfell United. “We won’t stop fighting until justice is served.”
Key figures in the disastrous refurbishment at Grenfell Tower are braced for a potentially damning report on the causes of the tragedy.
The Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, cladding manufacturers and the architects behind the refurbishment of the tower are all awaiting the final conclusions of a public inquiry into the 2017 fire.
However, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, chairman of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, is not expected to deliver his findings until next year.
Scandalously, the Government and property companies have still not addressed safety issues on thousands of tower blocks across the country.
Even more shocking, government data shows two-thirds of London boroughs still have at least one tower block with some of the same combustible cladding blamed for fuelling the fire at Grenfell. Following the inferno, hundreds of buildings across the UK were identified as having the aluminium composite material installed.
The Government ordered its removal from all high rises, but six years later, work has not even started on 23 blocks and dozens more are yet to complete replacing the panels. The official inquiry, which is entering its seventh year, was split into two phases, and first focused on the night of the fire itself.
Sir Martin, a retired Court of Appeal judge, delivered a 2019 report detailing how flames tore through the building due to the flammable cladding system and criticising the London Fire
Brigade’s system for handling large blazes in tower blocks.
Sir Martin’s second report will examine in detail the months and years leading up to the fire, how the building came to be covered in highly-flammable cladding, and cost-cutting policies that could have contributed to the disaster. More than 320,000 documents and the evidence of 1,500 witnesses have been looked at by the inquiry team, who have promised a “comprehensive, well-reasoned and persuasive” report. Once the inquiry has concluded, the Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service will be free to pursue criminal charges against those alleged to be responsible for the disaster.
Scotland Yard has interviewed more than 40 people under caution, many on multiple occasions. Officers are examining a series of potential offences including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, fraud, and health and safety breaches. More than 900 people affected by the fire have already received damages after filing civil claims. But it is justice that they are still so determined to achieve for the shocking failures. The priest of a church that became a focal point for survivors said “people still don’t feel they’ve received justice”.
Father Gareth Wardell, of St Clement Church, a short walk from the tower, has supported many victims, including children who suffered trauma and lost all their possessions. He said: “The issue of justice for Grenfell is a key one and people still don’t feel they’ve received it. There’s a sense of waiting until the outcome of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and any prosecutions that may follow.”
Artists transform Grenfell into ‘beacon of hope'
Artists Rob and Nick Carter marked the sixth anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy by transforming an image of the tower’s ruined remains into a colourful “beacon of hope”.
The husband and wife duo, whose work has been shown in the Victoria & Albert museum, have reworked a photograph of the tower so it is awash with colour exclusively for the front page of the Evening Standard.
It echoes the devastating picture of the tower that dominated our front page on June 14, 2017, when the blaze broke out in North Kensington and left 72 people dead.
Rob said the image was in part prompted by his own memories of seeing the fire that morning, saying: “Grenfell is in between where our gallery is and our studio and I remember driving past it that morning at about 6am with smoke billowing out.”
The couple said the image was their attempt to “transform the tragic symbol of the devastating fire into a vibrant emblem of resilience and hope”. They added: “The reimagining of Grenfell Tower becomes a testament to the power of art to heal and unite communities. Each colour panel becomes a beacon of hope.” The Carters have asked that their fee be donated to a charity supporting the victims.
The leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, Elizabeth Campbell, pledged “unwavering commitment” to survivors, the bereaved and local residents. “We will keep listening, keep improving, and keep supporting local people,” she added.
A Ministry of Housing spokesman said: “It is absolutely unacceptable for anyone to have to live in an unsafe building and residents’ safety and well-being should always be the utmost priority. Building owners and developers must act quickly to fix any dangerous defects so residents can finally get on with their lives.”
Meanwhile Kimia Zabihyan, an advocate for victims’ families, said plans for a memorial must be accelerated, saying the wait was “punishing” for the community and “deeply traumatising” for residents and victims’ families. Some want part of the tower preserved “so the height of it can be retained and people can see it from all around”.
