Victims of the Grenfell Tower fire must wait more than a decade for justice, and criminal charges over the fire are not expected for another two years.
The Metropolitan Police said Wednesday it will likely take until the end of 2025 before the investigation into the fire is finalized.
Decisions on potential criminal charges are not expected until late 2026.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy explained that the force has a “responsibility to consider” the results of the second public inquiry into the fire, which is expected later this year.
The Met Police said it could take until the end of 2026 for criminal charges to be laid over the Grenfell Tower fire
“If we rushed our police investigation, there is every chance that justice would not occur at the end of it,” he said.
He admitted, however, that this meant it would be almost 10 years before anyone could appear in court over the Grenfell Tower fire – as it will take at least 12 to 18 months after the report is published for the police to complete their “prosecution process”.
The fire, the deadliest in a residential building in the UK since the Second World War, killed 72 people in 2017.
It all started with an electrical fault on the fourth floor, which quickly spread throughout the building due to the combustible cladding and external insulation.
The fire killed 72 people in what was the deadliest residential fire since World War II. Photo: PA
Survivors say waiting is ‘unbearable’
Grenfell United, which represents many of the bereaved families and survivors, says the long wait for accountability is “unbearable”.
“Ten years until we see justice,” said a spokesperson for the group. “Ten years until we see lawsuits.
“Ten years until those responsible for the murders of 72 people are held accountable for their crimes. This should be shocking to everyone, but for us, we live our lives on hold while those responsible walk free.”
At Wednesday’s press conference, Cundy said he appreciates that many of the people affected by Grenfell have “lost everything”, adding that he “can’t imagine what this means for them”.
Read more: Grenfell six years on – ‘Frustration is turning to anger’
The fire investigation has been described as one of the most complex ever carried out by the Met Police. Photo: Reuters
The police investigation into the fire has already generated 27 thousand lines of inquiry and more than 12 thousand witness statements.
It has been described as one of the largest and most complex investigations ever carried out by the Met Police.
A total of 19 companies and organizations are under investigation for possible criminal offenses and 58 individuals, and more than 300 hours of interviews were carried out.
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£107.3 million spent on Met investigation
Potential crimes under consideration include manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office, health and safety offences, fraud and offenses under fire and building safety regulations.
So far, eight of the 20 files have been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service for initial investigative advice that would be passed on to police, with a typical case file being more than 500 pages long and 17,000 pages of evidence.
By the end of March this year, the Met had spent £107.3 million on the inquiry and there are 180 investigators currently working on the case.
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Burnt cladding panel in Metropolitan Police warehouse. Photo: PA
A burnt sheathing panel on a table (left) and insulation on a table (right). Photo: PA
Officials also recovered more than 152 million files from the tower and gathered 75,000 photos and 27,000 exhibits.
Forensic teams spent 415 days examining the tower after the fire, meticulously gathering evidence.
The exposed parts, including the charred remains of cladding panels that were said to have dripped with melted plastic during the fire, are being stored in a warehouse large enough to accommodate 25 double-decker buses.
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