British Police to Submit Evidence on Grenfell Tower Fire to Prosecutors

British police said Tuesday they will ask prosecutors to consider charging 57 people and 20 organizations with criminal offenses over the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London. The Metropolitan Police said files of evidence will be submitted to prosecutors by the end of September, with charging decisions by June 14, 2027, the tenth anniversary of the fire that killed 72 people.

The fire at Grenfell Tower broke out in the early hours of June 14, 2017, in a fourth-floor apartment and spread through the 25-story public housing building, fueled by flammable cladding panels on the exterior walls. It was the worst fire disaster in Britain since World War II, and the victims included retirees and 18 children.

A public inquiry in 2024 found that companies that made the tower's cladding used cheap and unsafe materials and engaged in systematic dishonesty, and that the failures were exacerbated by complacent officials who did not adequately enforce safety standards.

Police said the offenses being considered include corporate gross negligence manslaughter, fraud and health and safety breaches. Officers had gathered 165 million electronic files and examined the role of 15,000 individuals and 700 organizations, making it the largest and most complex inquiry the force has ever carried out.

Grenfell United, a group representing some bereaved families, said justice delayed any further would be unacceptable. "We have waited almost a decade for accountability," the group stated. "No family should have to wait over 10 years for justice for their loved ones, if it comes at all.